Claude Elwood Shannon (April 30, 1916 – February 24, 2001) was an American mathematician, electrical engineer, computer scientist and cryptographer known as the “father of information theory”. As a 21-year-old master’s degree student at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), he wrote his thesis demonstrating that electrical applications of Boolean algebra could construct any logical numerical relationship. 

Shannon contributed to the field of cryptanalysis for national defense of the United States during World War II, including his fundamental work on codebreaking and secure telecommunications.

He is best known for his master’s thesis, which laid the foundation for digital computing by describing how a digital computer could process information using random bits. He also helped develop AI and machine learning at a time when these subjects were still new.

Shannon constructed a robotic mouse in 1950—the first-ever made for research purposes. He also wrote one of the best cryptography papers ever written, explaining how to write an unbreakable code.

Claude Shannon also published a paper that led to the development of super-intelligent chess programs that could beat humans at their own game with unprecedented skill levels.

According to scijournal.org. Source of photos: internet