Richard Matthew Stallman was born in New York City. From an early age, he demonstrated a remarkable aptitude for mathematics and science, hinting at his future contributions to the world of computer science. His early intellectual curiosity laid the foundation for his later work on software freedom and open source development.

While still in high school, Stallman gained valuable programming experience. He spent the summer of 1969 at IBM's New York Scientific Center, where he wrote a Fortran program for statistical analysis. Subsequently, he worked part-time at Rockefeller University, further honing his skills and exposing him to the academic side of computing. This early exposure solidified his passion for programming and helped him develop his distinctive coding style.

Stallman attended Harvard University, where he immersed himself in mathematics and physics. Although he didn't formally major in computer science, he spent much of his time at the university's Artificial Intelligence Lab, learning from and collaborating with fellow researchers. It was at Harvard that he truly began to understand the collaborative nature of software development and the importance of sharing knowledge.

Stallman became a hacker (in the original, positive sense of the word) at the MIT Artificial Intelligence Lab. He spent countless hours modifying and improving existing software, sharing his code freely with other researchers. This experience highlighted the collaborative and open nature of early software development and instilled in him a deep appreciation for software freedom. It was during this time that he experienced the shift towards proprietary software that would later motivate the GNU Project.

Frustrated by the increasing prevalence of proprietary software and restrictions on sharing and modification, Stallman launched the GNU Project (GNU is Not Unix). The goal was to create a completely free and open-source operating system, allowing users to freely use, study, share, and modify the software. This marked the beginning of the free software movement and set the stage for the development of Linux and the widespread adoption of open-source principles.

To provide legal and organizational support for the GNU Project and the free software movement, Stallman founded the Free Software Foundation (FSF). The FSF advocates for software freedom, promotes the development and distribution of free software, and provides resources and legal guidance to developers and users. This solidified Stallman's role as a leading voice in the software freedom movement.

Stallman authored the GNU General Public License (GPL), a copyleft license that ensures that modified versions of free software remain free. The GPL requires that any derivative works of GPL-licensed software must also be licensed under the GPL, preventing the software from being made proprietary. This license has been instrumental in the success of the free software movement and the widespread adoption of open-source software.

While the GNU Project provided the essential components of an operating system, it lacked a kernel. Linus Torvalds independently developed the Linux kernel, which, when combined with the GNU system utilities, formed the GNU/Linux operating system. This combination proved to be a powerful and versatile platform, leading to the widespread adoption of Linux in servers, embedded systems, and desktop computers.

Following controversial remarks and renewed scrutiny of past behavior, Stallman resigned from his position at MIT's Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) and stepped down as president of the Free Software Foundation. This marked a turbulent period in his career and sparked intense debate within the free software community about his leadership and legacy.

Richard Stallman was reinstated to the Board of Directors of the Free Software Foundation. The decision to reinstate him caused further debate and controversy. This demonstrates that while his contributions are recognized, the debate around his actions and leadership continues to shape the discussion surrounding free software ethics.