Jack Kilby

Date of Birth: November 8, 1923

Zodiac Sign: Scorpio

Date of Death: June 20, 2005

Biography

Jack St. Clair Kilby was an American electrical engineer who took part in the realization of the first integrated circuit while working at Texas Instruments (TI) in 1958. Born in Jefferson City, Missouri, he grew up in Great Bend, Kansas. Kilby earned his bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and later his master’s degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. His invention of the integrated circuit revolutionized the electronics industry, setting the stage for the modern computing era. Kilby’s work earned him numerous accolades, including the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2000. Throughout his career, he continued to innovate and contributed significantly to the development of advanced technologies. He held over 60 patents and was a member of the National Academy of Engineering and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Jack Kilby passed away on June 20, 2005, but his legacy lives on in the countless devices that utilize integrated circuits today.

5 Interesting Facts about Jack Kilby

1. Jack Kilby invented the integrated circuit independently of Robert Noyce, who also made a similar invention around the same time.

2. He won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2000 for his part in the invention of the integrated circuit.

3. Kilby also invented the handheld calculator and the thermal printer during his time at Texas Instruments.

4. He held over 60 patents throughout his career.

5. Kilby was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in 1982.

5 Most Interesting Quotes from Jack Kilby

1. “What we didn’t realize then was that the integrated circuit would reduce the cost of electronic functions by a factor of a million to one.”

2. “Innovation comes only from an assault on the unknown.”

3. “The semiconductor industry didn’t really take off until the invention of the integrated circuit.”

4. “I could have done a better job of laying out the first integrated circuit, but it worked and that’s what counted.”

5. “The impact of the integrated circuit on society has been enormous, and we are still just beginning to see the possibilities.”

Highest Net Worth Achieved

Jack Kilby’s highest net worth is not precisely documented, but his contributions to technology have added immense value to the industry, with Texas Instruments achieving multi-billion dollar revenues annually.