Claude Shannon, the American mathematician, engineer, and cryptographer, died on February 24, 2001, at the age of 84. Shannon is known for founding the information theory field and for pioneering efforts in computer science research. Shannon received his B.S. in 1936 from the University of Michigan and went on to receive his M.A. and Ph.D. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. After completion of his degree, Shannon served as a research mathematician at Bell Labs before joining MIT as a professor in 1958. Shannon's most notable contribution to the field was his mathematical theory of communication, often referred to as the "Shannon Limit." He is widely recognized for introducing the concept of the bit as a measure of data data. He is also acknowledged for his cryptography work, which lead to the field of cryptography and is credited for laying the groundwork for the development of the digital computer. Shannon won numerous awards throughout his career including the Kyoto Prize, National Medal of Science, and 1998 Turing Award. His innovations and ideas continue to hold important implications for the fields of engineering, computer science, and mathematics.