Brilliant June Minds!
From War-Time Secrets to Quantum Futures.
There’s something about June…
Maybe it’s the solstice energy, or the long daylight hours that seem to invite brilliance.
This month has gifted us thinkers who didn’t just imagine the future. They built it!
Let’s begin with a name we all know (and must talk about): Alan Turing.
But before we step into the world of Turing’s genius, let’s pause to recognize someone just as brilliant and far too often overlooked.
Note on her official record: “Linguist.”
Languages known: none.
That’s how the system tried to categorize Joan Clarke.
Who was Joan Clarke?
Joan Elisabeth Lowther Clarke was far more than “The woman who worked with Turing.”
Born in London in June 1917, she was a gifted mathematician who graduated at the top of her class at Cambridge. Ambitious, bold, and determined to claim her place in a field that repeatedly told her she didn’t belong, simply because she was a woman.
Despite these early barriers, her talent caught the eye of Professor William Welchman, who invited her to join the British codebreaking team at Bletchley Park in 1939. Joan started in a clerical role with other women, as cryptanalysis was considered “men’s work” back then.
Everything changed when she met Alan Turing. He saw in Joan not just a gifted cryptanalyst, but a mind that matched his own. Drawn by mutual respect and quiet companionship, Turing invited her into Hut 8, the heart of Britain’s codebreaking efforts.
They grew close, even got briefly engaged, but the romance gave way to friendship after Turing confided in her about his sexuality. Years later, Joan married Lieutenant Colonel J.K.R. Murray, but throughout her life, she remained deeply dedicated to her work and the life she believed in...quiet, brilliant, and entirely her own.
Joan developed key methods that dramatically sped up codebreaking, saving countless lives and helping to end the war sooner. She and the team at Bletchley Park were working to break the Nazi Enigma code. A complex cipher used to coordinate German military operations. By deciphering these messages, the Allies could anticipate enemy movements and prevent attacks.
Yet despite her vital role, Joan was never officially recognized as a cryptanalyst. Instead, she was given the title “linguist” as a workaround, simply because women weren’t allowed that recognition at the time. Ironically, she didn’t even speak another language.
Joan Clarke remains a powerful symbol of inspiration and perseverance for girls and women in STEM. Her story and others like it remind us why representation and female leadership in science and technology matter, and why they must continue to be recognized and amplified.
Oops… looks like we started with Joan Clarke. And honestly? That feels right.
She was born on June 24, just one day after a certain someone you might already know: Alan Turing (born June 23). Funny how history works sometimes. Two brilliant minds, sharing not just a mission, but almost a birthday.
And now let’s turn to the man whose name became synonymous with modern computing…
Alan Turing – The Mathematician Who Ran… Fast.
Sure, you know Alan Turing as the mind behind breaking Enigma and pretty much the inventor of the modern computer. A legend, right?
But beyond the brilliant equations and top-secret war rooms, Turing was also… Well, kind of quirky, totally fascinating, and surprisingly relatable.
Here are 5 things you probably didn’t know about Alan Turing:
1. He could’ve made the Olympics. Literally.
Running was more than just a hobby for Turing. It was his stress relief and passion. He ran a marathon in 2 h 46 min, fast enough to qualify for the Olympics!
He once said:
"I have such a stressful job that the only way I can get it out of my mind is by running hard."
2. Peace, Codes & Calculations-Hippie Vibes.
Long before the '60s made nonconformity cool, Turing was already there. He didn’t care much for social conventions, dressed how he liked, biked everywhere, and lived authentically. In another time, you might’ve found him at a countryside commune solving math problems among wildflowers.
3. Brilliant, But Not Exactly the Favorite.
Turing often got mediocre grades, not because he wasn’t smart, but because he was bored and thought differently. Teachers didn’t know what to do with him. (Sound familiar to any innovators you know?)
4. He didn’t stop at computers.
Turing’s mind wasn’t limited to one field. He dabbled in physics, biology, chemistry, and even neurology.
5. Because of Daisies… He Invented Morphogenesis.
Later in life, Turing became fascinated with patterns in nature. Why spots form on leopards, or how daisies organize their petals. This led him to develop morphogenesis, a foundational theory in developmental biology that’s still used today.
YES! Alan Turing was a code-breaking genius. But he was also a long-distance runner, nature nerd, nonconformist, and cross-disciplinary thinker. The kind of person who didn’t just think outside the box. He built a whole new one.
More June-born STEM Legends?
Top 5 STEM Birthdays in June:
Alan Turing (Jun 23)
Cracked Enigma. Invented the Turing Machine.Joan Clarke (Jun 24)
Codebreaker at Bletchley Park.Maria G. Mayer (Jun 28)
Nobel in nuclear physics.Blaise Pascal (Jun 19)
Math & early computing pioneer.James C. Maxwell (Jun 13)
Laid the foundations of electromagnetism.
📍If your birthday is in June, you might be eligible for a special discount on any Quantum Formalism Academy plan.
And if you share a birthday with one of these STEM legends?
We’ll give you a FREE TRIAL. Because what are the chances, right? : )
📬 Just send us a hello: hello@quantumformalism.com
Thank you
Jacqueline Novak
Communication Manager
