Bio Graphy

@Biography · 11 Aug 2026, 4:51 pm

Biography of Shakuntla Devi (4 November 1929 – 21 April 2013) was a world-renowned Indian mental calculator, author, and astrologer, globally celebrated as the "Human Computer". Operating entirely without formal education, she stunned global audiences, universities, and scientists by solving complex mathematical equations with a speed that routinely outperformed the computers of her era. Early Life and Discovery *Birth: Born in Bangalore, Karnataka, into an impoverished orthodox Kannada Brahmin family. *Discovery: Her father, a circus performer, discovered her extraordinary numerical memory at age three while teaching her card tricks. *Primary Breadwinner: She left school at age six due to severe financial constraints and began performing calculation shows to support her family. *Public Debut: She demonstrated her explosive arithmetic abilities at the University of Mysore at just six years old. Groundbreaking Achievements *The 23rd Root: In 1977, at Southern Methodist University, she calculated the 23rd root of a 201-digit number in 50 seconds, beating an elite computer. *The Guinness World Record: On 18 June 1980 at Imperial College London, she multiplied two random 13-digit numbers (7,686,369,774,870 × 2,465,099,745,779) in just 28 seconds. *Record Recognition: This feat earned her a spot in the 1982 Guinness Book of World Records, though her official certificate was awarded posthumously in 2020. Beyond mathematics, Shakuntala Devi was a versatile author who strove to simplify numbers for children. Her bibliography includes books on puzzles, mathematics, and astrology, such as 'Figuring: The Joy of Numbers'. She also wrote 'The World of Homosexuals (1977)', making her the first person in India to publish a comprehensive study on homosexuality, offering an early, progressive call for decriminalisation. #biography