INVENTOR
Lee de Forest
1873 - 1961

Lee de Forest
Lee de Forest (August 26, 1873 – June 30, 1961) was an American inventor, electrical engineer and an early pioneer in electronics of fundamental importance. He invented the first practical electronic amplifier, the three-element "Audion" triode vacuum tube in 1908. This helped start the Electronic Age, and enabled the development of the electronic oscillator. These made radio broadcasting and long distance telephone lines possible, and led to the development of talking motion pictures, among countless other applications. Read more on Wikipedia
His biography is available in different languages on Wikipedia. Lee de Forest is the 24th most popular inventor (up from 111th in 2019), the 261st most popular biography from United States (up from 1,331st in 2019) and the 5th most popular American Inventor.
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Among INVENTORS
Among inventors, Lee de Forest ranks 24 out of 426. Before him are Cai Lun, Nicéphore Niépce, Karl Ferdinand Braun, George Stephenson, Hans Lippershey, and Eli Whitney. After him are Bartolomeo Cristofori, Werner von Siemens, John Logie Baird, Denis Papin, Thomas Newcomen, and Abbas ibn Firnas.
Most Popular Inventors in Wikipedia
Go to all RankingsCai Lun
48 - 121
HPI: 79.13
Rank: 18
Nicéphore Niépce
1765 - 1833
HPI: 77.97
Rank: 19
Karl Ferdinand Braun
1850 - 1918
HPI: 77.57
Rank: 20
George Stephenson
1781 - 1848
HPI: 77.03
Rank: 21
Hans Lippershey
1570 - 1619
HPI: 76.77
Rank: 22
Eli Whitney
1765 - 1825
HPI: 76.75
Rank: 23
Lee de Forest
1873 - 1961
HPI: 76.60
Rank: 24
Bartolomeo Cristofori
1655 - 1731
HPI: 76.05
Rank: 25
Werner von Siemens
1816 - 1892
HPI: 75.84
Rank: 26
John Logie Baird
1888 - 1946
HPI: 75.44
Rank: 27
Denis Papin
1647 - 1712
HPI: 75.42
Rank: 28
Thomas Newcomen
1663 - 1729
HPI: 75.31
Rank: 29
Abbas ibn Firnas
810 - 887
HPI: 75.27
Rank: 30
Contemporaries
Among people born in 1873, Lee de Forest ranks 6. Before him are Sergei Rachmaninoff, Thérèse of Lisieux, Thomas Andrews, Enrico Caruso, and Johannes V. Jensen. After him are Leon Czolgosz, Konstantin von Neurath, Colette, Jules Rimet, Hans von Euler-Chelpin, and Alexis Carrel. Among people deceased in 1961, Lee de Forest ranks 9. Before him are Erwin Schrödinger, Zog I of Albania, Dag Hammarskjöld, Patrice Lumumba, Louis-Ferdinand Céline, and Emily Greene Balch. After him are Jules Bordet, Gary Cooper, Percy Williams Bridgman, Maurice Merleau-Ponty, Edith Wilson, and Mohammed V of Morocco.
Others Born in 1873
Go to all RankingsSergei Rachmaninoff
COMPOSER
1873 - 1943
HPI: 81.11
Rank: 1
Thérèse of Lisieux
RELIGIOUS FIGURE
1873 - 1897
HPI: 79.67
Rank: 2
Thomas Andrews
DESIGNER
1873 - 1912
HPI: 78.98
Rank: 3
Enrico Caruso
SINGER
1873 - 1921
HPI: 78.95
Rank: 4
Johannes V. Jensen
WRITER
1873 - 1950
HPI: 78.43
Rank: 5
Lee de Forest
INVENTOR
1873 - 1961
HPI: 76.60
Rank: 6
Leon Czolgosz
EXTREMIST
1873 - 1901
HPI: 76.01
Rank: 7
Konstantin von Neurath
POLITICIAN
1873 - 1956
HPI: 75.69
Rank: 8
Colette
WRITER
1873 - 1954
HPI: 75.22
Rank: 9
Jules Rimet
BUSINESSPERSON
1873 - 1956
HPI: 74.98
Rank: 10
Hans von Euler-Chelpin
CHEMIST
1873 - 1964
HPI: 74.77
Rank: 11
Alexis Carrel
PHYSICIAN
1873 - 1944
HPI: 74.22
Rank: 12
Others Deceased in 1961
Go to all RankingsErwin Schrödinger
PHYSICIST
1887 - 1961
HPI: 84.23
Rank: 3
Zog I of Albania
POLITICIAN
1895 - 1961
HPI: 80.61
Rank: 4
Dag Hammarskjöld
DIPLOMAT
1905 - 1961
HPI: 79.85
Rank: 5
Patrice Lumumba
POLITICIAN
1925 - 1961
HPI: 78.45
Rank: 6
Louis-Ferdinand Céline
WRITER
1894 - 1961
HPI: 77.61
Rank: 7
Emily Greene Balch
SOCIAL ACTIVIST
1867 - 1961
HPI: 77.27
Rank: 8
Lee de Forest
INVENTOR
1873 - 1961
HPI: 76.60
Rank: 9
Jules Bordet
BIOLOGIST
1870 - 1961
HPI: 76.46
Rank: 10
Gary Cooper
ACTOR
1901 - 1961
HPI: 76.38
Rank: 11
Percy Williams Bridgman
PHYSICIST
1882 - 1961
HPI: 76.05
Rank: 12
Maurice Merleau-Ponty
PHILOSOPHER
1908 - 1961
HPI: 74.84
Rank: 13
Edith Wilson
POLITICIAN
1872 - 1961
HPI: 74.03
Rank: 14
Mohammed V of Morocco
POLITICIAN
1909 - 1961
HPI: 73.87
Rank: 15
In United States
Among people born in United States, Lee de Forest ranks 261 out of 20,380. Before him are Sigourney Weaver (1949), Joseph Heller (1923), Thomas Hunt Morgan (1866), John Holmes (1944), Ben Affleck (1972), and Robert Andrews Millikan (1868). After him are Johnny Depp (1963), John Quincy Adams (1767), Charles Taze Russell (1852), Dale Carnegie (1888), O. J. Simpson (1947), and Kanye West (1977).
Others born in United States
Go to all RankingsSigourney Weaver
ACTOR
1949 - Present
HPI: 76.75
Rank: 255
Joseph Heller
WRITER
1923 - 1999
HPI: 76.72
Rank: 256
Thomas Hunt Morgan
BIOLOGIST
1866 - 1945
HPI: 76.71
Rank: 257
John Holmes
ACTOR
1944 - 1988
HPI: 76.70
Rank: 258
Ben Affleck
ACTOR
1972 - Present
HPI: 76.63
Rank: 259
Robert Andrews Millikan
PHYSICIST
1868 - 1953
HPI: 76.61
Rank: 260
Lee de Forest
INVENTOR
1873 - 1961
HPI: 76.60
Rank: 261
Johnny Depp
ACTOR
1963 - Present
HPI: 76.59
Rank: 262
John Quincy Adams
POLITICIAN
1767 - 1848
HPI: 76.57
Rank: 263
Charles Taze Russell
RELIGIOUS FIGURE
1852 - 1916
HPI: 76.57
Rank: 264
Dale Carnegie
WRITER
1888 - 1955
HPI: 76.57
Rank: 265
O. J. Simpson
AMERICAN FOOTBALL PLAYER
1947 - 2024
HPI: 76.56
Rank: 266
Kanye West
SINGER
1977 - Present
HPI: 76.53
Rank: 267
Among INVENTORS In United States
Among inventors born in United States, Lee de Forest ranks 5. Before him are Thomas Edison (1847), Henry Ford (1863), Samuel Morse (1791), and Eli Whitney (1765). After him are Jimmy Wales (1966), Samuel Colt (1814), Bob Kahn (1938), Herman Hollerith (1860), Robert Fulton (1765), Steve Wozniak (1950), and George Westinghouse (1846).
Thomas Edison
1847 - 1931
HPI: 91.65
Rank: 1
Henry Ford
1863 - 1947
HPI: 82.33
Rank: 2
Samuel Morse
1791 - 1872
HPI: 80.49
Rank: 3
Eli Whitney
1765 - 1825
HPI: 76.75
Rank: 4
Lee de Forest
1873 - 1961
HPI: 76.60
Rank: 5
Jimmy Wales
1966 - Present
HPI: 75.20
Rank: 6
Samuel Colt
1814 - 1862
HPI: 74.94
Rank: 7
Bob Kahn
1938 - Present
HPI: 73.96
Rank: 8
Herman Hollerith
1860 - 1929
HPI: 73.59
Rank: 9
Robert Fulton
1765 - 1815
HPI: 73.39
Rank: 10
Steve Wozniak
1950 - Present
HPI: 73.34
Rank: 11
George Westinghouse
1846 - 1914
HPI: 72.92
Rank: 12