V · Craft & community

Linus Torvalds

1969–
Linux Foundation fellow · creator of Linux and Git
Gave us

Linux (1991). Git (2005, written in 10 days because BitKeeper revoked Linux's license).

The story

Two pieces of infrastructure that hold up most of computing — both written as personal projects. Famously direct on the kernel mailing list; mellowed considerably after a 2018 self-imposed sabbatical.

One more thing

Wrote Git in ten days. Named it after himself ("git" being British slang for an unpleasant person).