Origin of Unix pipes

Doug McIlroy invented Unix pipes. He is the “unsung hero of Unix”, according to Rob Pike.

            Summary--what's most important.
    To put my strongest concerns into a nutshell:
1. We should have some ways of coupling programs like
garden hose--screw in another segment when it becomes when
it becomes necessary to massage data in another way.
This is the way of IO also.
2. Our loader should be able to do link-loading and
controlled establishment.
3. Our library filing scheme should allow for rather
general indexing, responsibility, generations, data path
switching.
4. It should be possible to get private system components
(all routines are system components) for buggering around with.

                                                M. D. McIlroy
                                                October 11, 1964