Jack Kilby (1923 - 2005)
Jack St. Clair Kilby was born on November 8, 1923, in Jefferson, City, Missouri, and raised in Kansas. An amateur radio buff, Kilby went on to serve in the military during World War II—he was stationed in India as a technician—before attending school in the United States on the G.I. Bill. With his father having worked in the field as well, Kilby received his degree in electrical engineering from the University of Illinois in 1947, going on to earn his master's from the University of Wisconsin three years later. Jack Kilby joined the staff of Globe Union Inc. in 1947 while attending graduate school, doing developmental work in circuitry at the company. He started working at Texas Instruments in 1958, where he was soon able to design an integrated circuit, combining previously isolated electronic elements to work together in a miniature environment that would be known as the microchip.
Kilby's invention was revolutionary for the computing/technological world and marked the beginnings of devices that have become a basic part of life. Kilby later invented the first integrated-circuit based calculator, dubbed the Pocketronic; a rather ornate affair initially, it would be further streamlined by the 1970s for general consumer usage and thus become the pocket calculator. Kilby took a leave from Texas Instruments in 1970, though continuing to work with the company even after his 1983 retirement. Jack Kilby died from a long a battle from cancer on June 20, 2005, at the age of 81.
Kilby's invention was revolutionary for the computing/technological world and marked the beginnings of devices that have become a basic part of life. Kilby later invented the first integrated-circuit based calculator, dubbed the Pocketronic; a rather ornate affair initially, it would be further streamlined by the 1970s for general consumer usage and thus become the pocket calculator. Kilby took a leave from Texas Instruments in 1970, though continuing to work with the company even after his 1983 retirement. Jack Kilby died from a long a battle from cancer on June 20, 2005, at the age of 81.