M Edgar F. Codd

Edgar F. Codd (1923–2003) was a seminal British computer scientist whose introduction of the relational database model in 1970 profoundly impacted data management. Working at IBM, Codd's groundbreaking paper outlined principles for structuring databases into related tables and introduced relational algebra as a mathematical basis for data manipulation. His conceptualization of data independence and relational integrity simplified database interactions, enabling intuitive and efficient querying through structured query language (SQL). The relational model rapidly became the cornerstone for modern data storage, underpinning financial systems, e-commerce platforms, and enterprise software. Codd's theories standardized how complex data is stored, retrieved, and maintained, ensuring scalability, flexibility, and reliability for large-scale digital systems. His transformative work earned him the Turing Award in 1981, highlighting his enduring influence on technology, information systems, and modern computing infrastructure.