GIF animation creator Stephen Wilhite dies aged 74
Stephen Wilhite, the talented tech guru who created the looping animated image format known as the GIF died last week, it has been revealed.
When did Stephen Wilhite die?
According to an obituary circular released March 23, Stephen Wilhite, died on March 14, after celebrating his 74th birthday 11 days earlier.
What killed Stephen Wilhite
Stephen Wilhite, who happens to be one of the lead inventors of GIF, died last week from COVID at the age of 74, according to his wife, Kathaleen, who spoke to The Verge. He was surrounded by family when he passed on.
What is GIF
GIF which means Graphics Interchange Format is a looping image format, which has become a staple of social media communications.
GIF was created in 1987 to compress images for use on slow modems. On March 21, a service was scheduled for Wilhite’s friends and family in Milford, Ohio. He is also remembered as an avid traveler and camper after he stepped away from the digital world.
“Steve who retired as the Chief Architect from America Online, was the inventor of GIF, and received the Webby Lifetime Achievement Award in New York,” his obituary includes.
