Philip Emeagwali, a Nigerian-American computer scientist from the Igbo tribe, is credited with developing a supercomputer that can perform 3.1 billion calculations per second. Born on August 23, 1954, in Akure, Nigeria, Emeagwali grew up in Onitsha, South Eastern Nigeria, and showed exceptional math skills from an early age, earning him the nickname "Calculus".
*Early Life and Education*
- Born in Akure, Nigeria, to an Igbo family
- Family fled to eastern Nigeria during the Nigerian Civil War, where he was drafted into the Biafran army at 13
- Completed high school equivalency through self-study after the war
- Earned a scholarship to attend Oregon State University in the US
- Studied mathematics, earning a degree in 1977, and later earned master's degrees from George Washington University and the University of Maryland
*Computing Achievements*
- Developed a supercomputer using 65,000 microprocessors, performing 3.1 billion calculations per second
- Demonstrated a practical way for computers to communicate and collaborate worldwide, contributing to the development of the internet
- Won the Gordon Bell Prize in 1989, considered the "Nobel Prize" of computing
*Legacy*
- Continues to work on computing problems, including weather prediction models
- Earned over 100 honors for his breakthrough achievements
- Considered one of the most prominent inventors of the 20th century ¹
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