You might recall that Dennis Ritchie passed away a little under a year ago, in October 2011. The world lost a giant of computing, and many of us lost a hero and role model. Ritchie was born on September 9th, 1941 — 71 years ago today. I thought it would be fitting that we take a moment to celebrate his accomplishments and his gifts to the world, and say thanks.

I also thought we should celebrate his fun side a little bit, so I’m reposting this video I shared back in 2010. In it, Dennis and his colleagues enlist the help of Penn & Teller to prank their boss, Nobel Laureat Arno Penzias.

Thanks, Dennis, and Happy Birthday!