Home
World
Canada
- BC
- Calgary
- Edmonton
- Saskatchewan
- Manitoba
- Thunder Bay
- Sudbury
- Windsor
- Toronto
- Ottawa
- Montreal
- NB
- PEI
- NS
- NL
- North
Politics
Health
Arts & Entertainment
- Music
- Film
- Television
- Books
- Media
- Art & Design
- Theatre
Technology & Science
Money
Consumer Life
Diversions
Weather
Your Voice

Java creator named to Order of Canada

Last Updated: Wednesday, February 21, 2007 | 2:52 PM ET

CBC News

The man credited with inventing the Java programming language commonly used on the World Wide Web has been appointed to the Order of Canada.

James Gosling, a vice-president of Sun Microsystems Inc. of Santa Clara, Calif., has been named an officer of the Order of Canada, the office of the Governor General announced on Monday.

Java creator James Gosling at the Sun Microsystems campus in Menlo Park, Calif., in 2005. Gosling is one of 29 Canadians named Officers of the Order of Canada and will receive his insignia later in 2007.
(Jeff Chiu/Associated Press)

Gosling was responsible for the original design of the Java programming language and implemented the original compiler for the so-called Java virtual machine. Java programs are compiled or converted into machine code by a program called a compiler when they run.

A virtual machine is a computer program that creates an operating environment that is independent of the computer and its operating system, allowing software written for the virtual machine to run on any computer.

The list of Order of Canada recipients — 87 in all, including three Companions, 29 Officers and 55 Members — was submitted to Gov. Gen. Michaëlle Jean and approved on Oct. 5, 2006.

The time between the list's approval and its public announcement is meant to allow for those named to the Order be notified and given the opportunity to accept or decline inclusion in it, Marie-Paule Thorn, a spokeswoman with the Governor General's office, told CBC News Online.

People named to the Order will receive their insignia at a ceremony to be held later. The next ceremony is to be held in May or June.

Recipients of the Order of Canada may attend any one of four ceremonies held each year — usually in February, May or June, September or November and October or December — at which they can receive their insignia and certificates. Attendance is determined by the recipients' availability. The last ceremony was held on Feb. 9.

The Order of Canada recognizes outstanding lifetime achievement and contributions to society and the country by Canadians from all walks of life.

This story is now closed to commenting.

Internal Links

Governor General reveals new inductees to Order of Canada
GG awards Order of Canada to 37 people
In Depth: Order of Canada

External Links

Order of Canada
James Gosling biography at Sun Microsystems

(Note: CBC does not endorse and is not responsible for the content of external sites - links will open in new window)

Technology & Science Headlines

Google adds social media to Gmail: Google is introducing Buzz, a group of features that add Facebook and Twitter-like functionality to Gmail.
Montreal inventor unveils 3-D baggage scanner: A Montreal inventor has developed a three-dimensional baggage scanner that he says can make air travel safer and more convenient for passengers.
Tech buying bounces back in 2009: NPD: Canadians spent $4.66 billion on computer and information technology products in 2009, up one per cent from 2008.
Google Street View expands across Canada: Google has updated its Street View service with increased coverage to more than 150 cities and towns across Canada.
Astronauts inspect shuttle on way to space station: Endeavour's astronauts have inspected their ship for any launch damage as they raced toward a rendezvous with the International Space Station.

Top CBCNews.ca Headlines

Headlines

Trenton colonel's charges spur cold case review: The 2001 slaying of a Nova Scotia woman at CFB Trenton in eastern Ontario is among the cases being re-examined after murder charges were laid against Col. Russell Williams.
Health costs push Alberta budget deficit to $4.75B: Alberta's Progressive Conservative government is projecting a record $4.75-billion budget deficit and planning cuts in many departments while increasing health-care spending.
Ottawa to appeal injection site ruling: The federal government is asking the Supreme Court of Canada for leave to appeal a lower court ruling that sanctioned Vancouver's supervised drug injection site.
Haitian man pulled from rubble: A 28-year-old man has been pulled from rubble in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, claiming to have been trapped there since the massive earthquake on Jan. 12.
Tories need plan for isotope shortage: Ignatieff: Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff accused the Conservative government of having no plan of action to deal with a medical isotope shortage expected to worsen later this month.