Linus Torvalds
Finnish-American creator of the Linux kernel and Git
- Age
- 56 yrs
- Birthday in 53 days
- Works listed
- 3
- Operating system kernel, Version-control system
- Honours
- 3
- Most recent 2014
- Profile views
- 3
- 0 followers
Linus Torvalds is a Finnish-American software engineer who created the Linux kernel as a student in 1991 and still oversees its development. Linux runs most web servers, all of the world’s top supercomputers and, through Android, billions of phones. He also created Git, the most widely used version-control system.
Biography
Background
Torvalds grew up in Helsinki in the Swedish-speaking minority; his grandfather introduced him to computers. He studied computer science at the University of Helsinki.
Linux
On 25 August 1991 he posted that he was building “just a hobby” operating system for PCs. Released under the GNU General Public License, Linux attracted thousands of contributors, and combined with GNU tools became a complete free operating system.
Git
In 2005, after a dispute over the BitKeeper tool used for Linux, Torvalds wrote Git in a few weeks. Git, used through services such as GitHub, became the standard for software version control.
Life in the US
He moved to California in 1997 to work for Transmeta, became a US citizen in 2010 and works for the Linux Foundation. In 2018 he apologised for his harsh communication style and took a short break.
Timeline
-
1969
Born in Helsinki, Finland
-
1991
Announces Linux
-
1994
Linux 1.0
-
1997
Moves to the US to work at Transmeta
-
2005
Creates Git
-
2010
Becomes a US citizen
-
2012
Millennium Technology Prize
-
2018
Apologises for his behaviour
Notable works
-
1991
Linux kernel Operating system kernel
-
2005
Git Version-control system
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2001
Just for Fun Autobiography
With David Diamond.
Awards and honours
-
EFF Pioneer Award
1998
-
Millennium Technology Prize
2012
-
Computer Pioneer Award
2014
Did you know?
-
1
Linux’s mascot, the penguin Tux, was chosen after he said he was bitten by a penguin.
-
2
He jokingly named Git after himself, saying “git” is British slang for an unpleasant person.
-
3
He was named after the chemist Linus Pauling.
Connections
Related people
Also born on 28 December
-
Ratan Tata
Business · Chairman of Tata Sons (1991–2012) who made the Tata Group global
1937
-
Dhirubhai Ambani
Business · Founder of Reliance Industries
1932
-
Arun Jaitley
Politics & Leadership · Former Finance Minister of India (2014–2019) and senior advocate
1952
-
John von Neumann
Science · Hungarian-American mathematician who defined the architecture of modern computers
1903
Frequently asked
Who is Linus Torvalds?
Linus Torvalds is a Finnish-American software engineer who created the Linux kernel as a student in 1991 and still oversees its development. Linux runs most web servers, all of the world’s top supercomputers and, through Android, billions of phones. He also created Git, the most widely used version-control system.
How old is Linus Torvalds?
Linus Torvalds is 56 years old, born on 28 December 1969 in Helsinki, Finland.
Where is Linus Torvalds from?
Linus Torvalds was born in Helsinki, Finland.
What is Linus Torvalds known for?
Linus Torvalds is best known for Creating Linux (1991); creating Git (2005); leading Linux kernel development.
What awards has Linus Torvalds received?
Notable honours include EFF Pioneer Award (1998), Millennium Technology Prize (2012), Computer Pioneer Award (2014).
References
- Linus Torvalds — Wikipedia. Wikipedia. Retrieved 4 November 2026.
- Linus Torvalds — Britannica. Encyclopaedia Britannica. Retrieved 4 November 2026.
- Linus Torvalds — IMDb. IMDb. Retrieved 4 November 2026.
- Linus Torvalds — Goodreads author page. Goodreads. Retrieved 4 November 2026.
- Linus Torvalds — Hindi Wikipedia. Wikipedia (Hindi). Retrieved 4 November 2026.
- Official website. torvalds-family.blogspot.com. Retrieved 4 November 2026.
- Linus Torvalds (Q34253) — structured data. Wikidata. Retrieved 4 November 2026.
Includes material from the Wikipedia article “Linus Torvalds”, 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
“Linus Torvalds.” TrackFame, last updated 5 November 2026. https://trackfame.com/person/linus-torvalds
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