Charles Simonyi
Hungarian-born creator of Microsoft Word and Excel who flew twice to space
- Age
- 78 yrs
- Birthday in 308 days
- Works listed
- 2
- Software
- Honours
- 0
- Awards & distinctions
- Profile views
- 2
- 0 followers
Charles Simonyi is a Hungarian-American software architect who co-wrote Bravo, the first WYSIWYG editor, at Xerox PARC and then led development of Microsoft Word and Excel. He paid to fly twice to the International Space Station, in 2007 and 2009.
Biography
Hungary to California
Simonyi programmed a Soviet-built computer in Budapest as a teenager, left Hungary at 17 and studied at UC Berkeley and Stanford, where he earned a PhD.
Xerox PARC
At PARC he and Butler Lampson wrote Bravo (1974), the first WYSIWYG word processor.
Microsoft
Joining Microsoft in 1981, he led the creation of Multiplan, Word and Excel, the core of Microsoft Office. His variable-naming convention became known as Hungarian notation.
Space and philanthropy
He left in 2002 to found Intentional Software, bought by Microsoft in 2017. He flew on Soyuz to the ISS in 2007 and 2009, the first space tourist to fly twice. He funds professorships and the arts.
Timeline
-
1948
Born in Budapest, Hungary
-
1974
Bravo editor
-
1981
Joins Microsoft
-
1983
Microsoft Word
-
1985
Excel
-
2002
Founds Intentional Software
-
2007
First spaceflight
-
2009
Second spaceflight
Notable works
-
1974
Bravo Software
With Butler Lampson.
-
1983
Microsoft Word Software
Did you know?
-
1
Esther Dyson trained as his backup for spaceflight.
-
2
He was once in a relationship with Martha Stewart.
-
3
He funded the Charles Simonyi Professorship for the Public Understanding of Science at Oxford, first held by Richard Dawkins.
Connections
Related people
Frequently asked
Who is Charles Simonyi?
Charles Simonyi is a Hungarian-American software architect who co-wrote Bravo, the first WYSIWYG editor, at Xerox PARC and then led development of Microsoft Word and Excel. He paid to fly twice to the International Space Station, in 2007 and 2009.
How old is Charles Simonyi?
Charles Simonyi is 78 years old, born on 10 September 1948 in Budapest, Hungary.
Where is Charles Simonyi from?
Charles Simonyi was born in Budapest, Hungary.
What is Charles Simonyi known for?
Charles Simonyi is best known for Bravo editor at Xerox PARC; Microsoft Word and Office; Hungarian notation; two trips to the ISS.
References
- Charles Simonyi — Wikipedia. Wikipedia. Retrieved 4 November 2026.
- Charles Simonyi — Britannica. Encyclopaedia Britannica. Retrieved 4 November 2026.
- Charles Simonyi — IMDb. IMDb. Retrieved 4 November 2026.
- Charles Simonyi (Q49819) — structured data. Wikidata. Retrieved 4 November 2026.
Includes material from the Wikipedia article “Charles Simonyi”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. That text is available under the same licence. Learn more
External links
About this profile
- Researched by the TrackFame editorial team; reviewed by Sanjay Sokal under our editorial policy
- First published 4 November 2026
- Last updated
Cite this page
“Charles Simonyi.” TrackFame, last updated 5 November 2026. https://trackfame.com/person/charles-simonyi
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