Claude Shannon
Born: 1916
Pulse Code Modulation. Oliver and Shannon developed the first high-speed digital transmission system based on coded electronic pulses, making digital telephone systems and compact discs possible. Oliver had a respected career at Bell Laboratories and also at Hewlett-Packard, where he was pivotal in developing the first hand-held calculator. Shannon, who also had a long and prolific Bell Labs career, is considered the father of information theory, which is considered the foundation of today's computer technology.
Died: 2001 See also: