Brussels, Europe Brief News – Stephen Wilhite creator of the GIF dies at the age of 74 from COVID. His wife Kathaleen has confirmed this news while speaking to ‘The Verge’. When Stephen died he was surrounded by his family. Even though he got a lot of success by creating GIFs, he remained humble and kind. Stephen is the inventor of Graphics Interchange Format (GIF).
Many people use GIFs for sending messages during chats. GIF is used for sending out a reaction, message, or even jokes. After his retirement in the 1980s, the popularity of GIF soared even further. In the early 2000s, he spent time traveling, camping, and building model trains. He wanted some time for himself and did it successfully.
GIFs are more like internet memes in today’s world. However, this isn’t the reason why Stephen created the GIF. CompuServe introduced it in the 1980s. It is a way to distribute high-end resolution graphics in vibrant colors. Traditionally the speed of the internet wasn’t very fast and by sending this GIF one could send his emotions instantly.
Stephen invented the GIF with his idea and creative thoughts. He started planning for it at home and took steps to bring his vision to reality. According to his wife Kathaleen, he figured out everything privately in his head and brought it to the programming.
Stephen Wilhite creator of the GIF Was Paid Tributes By His Family And Colleagues
There have been a lot of debates on the correct pronunciation of the image format but Wilhite was always clear on how he intended the pronunciation to be. He shared in an interview that the Oxford English Dictionary accepts both pronunciations. However, they are wrong. It is a soft ‘G,’ pronounced ‘jif.’
Stephen was awarded with the Webby Lifetime Achievement Award for the invention of the GIF. Several messages from his former colleagues were seen in the memory of Stephen on his obituary page. Stephen Wilhite creator of the GIF also made contributions to his company’s success.
After he retired, he traveled together with his wife. Kathaleen said that one of her most memorable trips was their honeymoon. They visited the Grand Canyon together. The couple also went camping. In a candid interview, Kathaleen shared that Stephen liked to work on his model train set. She revealed that a whole section in the basement was built for his train room. He always worked on the designs and electric work. Wilhite favorite GIFs was the dancing baby meme.
