Niklaus Emil Wirth was born on Feb. 15, 1934, in Winterthur, Switzerland, the only child of Walter Wirth, a geography professor, and Hedwick (Keller) Wirth, who managed the family’s home.

One who caught my eye was Niklaus Wirth who departed this world on New Year's Day. He was a Swiss computer scientist, associated most with ETH Zurich, but he also had sixties Silicon Valley pedigree.