Portrait of Meredith L. Patterson

Birthday profile

Meredith L. Patterson

Meredith L. Patterson, American technologist, journalist, and author

Born
April 30, 1977
Age in 2026
49
Zodiac sign
Taurus
Birth year
1977

About Meredith L. Patterson

Meredith L. Patterson (born April 30, 1977) is an American technologist, science fiction writer, and journalist. She has spoken at numerous industry conferences on a wide range of topics. She is also a blogger and software developer, and a leading figure in the biopunk movement. Raised in Houston, she pursued an education in linguistics and computer science, earning a Master's degree in linguistics and a PhD in computer science from the University of Iowa. Patterson's early career involved diverse roles like website design, technical writing, teaching math, and restaurant criticism for the Houston Press. Her contributions in computer science include breakthroughs in computational linguistics applied to computer security. She introduced innovative techniques to counter SQL injection attacks and integrated data mining libraries into PostgreSQL databases, giving rise to her startup, Osogato. She also actively contributed to open-source projects and co-presented significant research on internet security vulnerabilities with her husband Len Sassaman. As a writer, Patterson has written science fiction stories and poetry, often inspired by her scientific interests. She has also engaged in blogging, addressing topics like copyright reform, biohacking, civil rights, and programming languages. Patterson is known for her work in computational linguistics and its applications to computer security.

Biography source: Wikipedia. The profile adds birthday-specific historical context from the Celebs Birthday Today editorial database.

The world when Meredith L. Patterson was born

Meredith L. Patterson was born in 1977. The year snapshot below places that birthday in its cultural and historical setting: the music and films people were following, the headlines shaping public life, and the everyday prices families encountered.

Culture in 1977

  • #1 song"You Light Up My Life" – Debby Boone
  • Top movieStar Wars
  • Top TV showHappy Days
  • Best-selling bookThe Silmarillion – J.R.R. Tolkien

Headlines and milestones

  • Major sports momentPelé retires after final match with the New York Cosmos
  • Top headlineStar Wars premieres and changes cinema forever
  • Technology milestoneApple II computer released
  • Defining fadStar Wars mania
  • Notable inventionAtari 2600 video game console
  • World population4.23 billion

United States snapshot

  • U.S. leaderJimmy Carter
  • Sports championNew York Yankees (World Series)
  • Also wonPortland Trail Blazers (NBA)
  • U.S. population220.2M

1977 versus 2026

These figures put everyday life in Meredith L. Patterson's birth year beside the site's latest United States snapshot.

Measure19772026
Gas$0.62$3.45/gal
Average home$49,300$435,000
Average income$16,009$67,500
Minimum wage$2.30$7.25/hr (federal)
Movie ticket$2.23$11.95
Postage stamp$0.13$0.73
Population220.2M341 million

Sources and editorial standards

This profile combines a biographical source with structured birthday and historical context. Sources recorded for this profile: Wikipedia, VIAF. See our editorial policy for sourcing, corrections, and review standards.

Read the source biography on Wikipedia. Wikipedia text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.