About
Brian Kernighan is a Canadian computer scientist renowned for his contributions to the development of Unix at Bell Labs, working alongside Ken Thompson and Dennis Ritchie. He is particularly famous for co-authoring the first book on the C programming language with Dennis Ritchie, a seminal work in computer science education. Although he helped popularize C, Kernighan has stated he was not involved in its design. His work has significantly influenced the field of computer science and programming.
Career Timeline
Bell Labs Arrival
Joined Bell Labs and began contributing to Unix.
Unix Development
Key contributor to the development of Unix.
The C Programming Language
Co-authored a seminal book on the C language.
Principles Book
Authored 'The Elements of Programming Style'.
Princeton Professor
Became a professor at Princeton University.
Continued Influence
Continues as a respected voice in computer science through writing and teaching.
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Last updated: February 21, 2026