Richard Stallman is 73 years old as of October 2026. He was born on 16 March 1953.
Quick facts
Date of birth16 March 1953
Age73
NationalityAmerican
BirthplaceManhattan, United States
Editor's Take:
Stallman transformed software culture by insisting freedom mattered more than price. His **1983** GNU initiative challenged the proprietary turn that followed the **1976** Copyright Act, while his copyleft concept ingeniously weaponised copyright law against itself. The Symbolics conflict of **1982–1983**, where he single-handedly matched an entire company's output, exemplified his determination. Yet his **1979** denunciation of time-bombed software as a crime against humanity foreshadowed the uncompromising rhetoric that later complicated his leadership. His **2019** downfall and **2021** return illustrate how moral absolutism can both define and destabilise a movement.
Key Milestones
1974: Earned physics degree magna cum laude from Harvard
1983: Started GNU Project to create free operating system
1985: Established Free Software Foundation in October
2019: Resigned FSF presidency after Epstein scandal remarks
Richard Matthew Stallman ( STAWL-mən; born March 16, 1953), also known by his initials rms, is an American free software activist and programmer. He campaigns for software to be distributed in such a manner that its users have the freedom to use, study, distribute, and modify that software.
Richard Stallman's birthday is March 16. He was born on March 16, 1953 in Manhattan, United States.
How old is Richard Stallman?
Richard Stallman is 73 years old, and turns 74 on his next birthday, March 16.
Who shares a birthday with Richard Stallman?
Famous people who share Richard Stallman's March 16 birthday include James Madison, Sully Prudhomme, Georg Simon Ohm, Jens Stoltenberg and Francisco Pizarro.
