The concept of a file descriptor has been around since the early days of computer science, but it was Dennis Ritchie who first proposed it in 1973. His idea was that the file descriptor should be used to identify and access files, and should be an integral part of the operating system. Ritchie's proposal was quickly accepted and adopted, and the file descriptor is now a standard feature of most operating systems. In addition, the file descriptor has become a cornerstone of modern computer operating systems, as it allows users to easily locate and access files. Furthermore, the use of the file descriptor provides an efficient and secure way of managing files, and has been an important tool in aiding the development of many applications and programs.