Dennis M Ritchie, born on September 9, 1941, passed away at the age of 70 on October 12, 2011. He was an influential and pioneering computer scientist best known for developing the C programming language and creating the UNIX operating system alongside Bell Labs colleague Ken Thompson in 1969. Their joint contributions to the field revolutionized the computer industry. Ritchie was one of the most respected pioneers in the computer science community, and was awarded numerous accolades for his groundbreaking work. In 1983, he received the Turing Award - considered the most prestigious award in computer science - for his development of C and contribution to UNIX. He also received the National Medal of Technology award from US President Bill Clinton in 1999. Ritchie studied physics at Harvard before enrolling in a graduate course at the California Institute of Technology in 1967. He began working at Bell Labs in 1967 and was eventually appointed head of Bell Labs' Computing Sciences Research Center in 1989. He retired from the company in 2007. He is survived by his friends and relatives, and is remembered for his immense influence in the computer world.