Edgar F. Codd
IBM researcher who invented the relational model behind modern databases
- Lived
- 79 yrs
- 1923 – 2003
- Works listed
- 2
- Paper, Book
- Honours
- 2
- Most recent 1996
- Profile views
- 3
- 0 followers
Edgar “Ted” Codd was an English computer scientist who, while working for IBM, invented the relational model for databases in 1970. Nearly every major database today, from Oracle to MySQL, is based on his ideas. He received the Turing Award in 1981.
Biography
From pilot to programmer
Codd studied mathematics and chemistry at Exeter College, Oxford, and flew as a pilot in the Royal Air Force during the Second World War. He moved to the United States in 1948 and joined IBM as a programming mathematician.
From idea to industry
IBM was slow to adopt the idea, but its System R project produced the SQL language, and Oracle released a commercial relational database in 1979. Relational databases became the standard for business software within a decade.
The relational model
In his 1970 paper “A Relational Model of Data for Large Shared Data Banks”, Codd proposed storing data in simple tables of rows and columns and retrieving it with mathematical logic, rather than by following links between records. This separated how data is stored from how it is used.
Later years
Codd received the Turing Award in 1981. He later published 12 rules defining a truly relational database and coined the term OLAP for analytical processing. He died in Florida in 2003.
Timeline
-
1923
Born in Isle of Portland, Dorset, England
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1948
Joins IBM in New York
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1965
PhD from the University of Michigan
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1970
Publishes the relational model
-
1979
First commercial relational databases appear
-
1981
Turing Award
-
1985
Publishes Codd’s 12 rules
-
2003
Died, aged 79
Notable works
-
1970
A Relational Model of Data for Large Shared Data Banks Paper
-
1990
The Relational Model for Database Management: Version 2 Book
Awards and honours
-
Turing Award
1981
-
Computer Pioneer Award
1996
Did you know?
-
1
SQL, the language used to query relational databases, was developed by IBM colleagues based on his model.
-
2
He coined the term OLAP (online analytical processing).
-
3
He was born on the Isle of Portland in Dorset.
Connections
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Frequently asked
Who is Edgar F. Codd?
Edgar “Ted” Codd was an English computer scientist who, while working for IBM, invented the relational model for databases in 1970. Nearly every major database today, from Oracle to MySQL, is based on his ideas. He received the Turing Award in 1981.
When did Edgar F. Codd die?
Edgar F. Codd died on 18 April 2003 at the age of 79.
Where is Edgar F. Codd from?
Edgar F. Codd was born in Isle of Portland, Dorset, England.
What is Edgar F. Codd known for?
Edgar F. Codd is best known for The relational database model; Codd’s rules; Turing Award 1981.
What awards has Edgar F. Codd received?
Notable honours include Turing Award (1981), Computer Pioneer Award (1996).
References
- Edgar F. Codd — Wikipedia. Wikipedia. Retrieved 4 November 2026.
- Edgar F. Codd — Britannica. Encyclopaedia Britannica. Retrieved 4 November 2026.
- Edgar F. Codd (Q92596) — structured data. Wikidata. Retrieved 4 November 2026.
Includes material from the Wikipedia article “Edgar F. Codd”, 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
“Edgar F. Codd.” TrackFame, last updated 5 November 2026. https://trackfame.com/person/edgar-f-codd
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