INVENTOR
Ray Dolby
1933 - 2013

Ray Dolby
Ray Milton Dolby (; January 18, 1933 – September 12, 2013) was an American engineer and inventor of the noise reduction system known as Dolby NR, which has been said to have "transformed sound reproduction". In the 1950s he contributed to development of the video tape recorder while at Ampex, and in 1965 he founded Dolby Laboratories in London. There he invented and patented a method of noise reduction for use in analog recording which was widely adopted for the cassette tape. The company moved to California in 1976 and went on to develop audio and video formats for films, home video recorders, home theater, television broadcasts, and video streaming services. Read more on Wikipedia
His biography is available in different languages on Wikipedia. Ray Dolby is the 266th most popular inventor (down from 244th in 2019), the 5,180th most popular biography from United States (down from 3,834th in 2019) and the 68th most popular American Inventor.
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Among INVENTORS
Among inventors, Ray Dolby ranks 266 out of 426. Before him are Arthur Wynne, Michael S. Hart, Joseph-Armand Bombardier, Angelo Moriondo, Walter Zapp, and Gerald Bull. After him are Henri Fabre, Louis Lumière, Alexandre Alexeieff, John Barnard, Colin Archer, and Léon Gaumont.
Most Popular Inventors in Wikipedia
Go to all RankingsArthur Wynne
1871 - 1945
HPI: 59.26
Rank: 260
Michael S. Hart
1947 - 2011
HPI: 59.14
Rank: 261
Joseph-Armand Bombardier
1907 - 1964
HPI: 59.14
Rank: 262
Angelo Moriondo
1851 - 1914
HPI: 59.13
Rank: 263
Walter Zapp
1905 - 2003
HPI: 58.98
Rank: 264
Gerald Bull
1928 - 1990
HPI: 58.96
Rank: 265
Ray Dolby
1933 - 2013
HPI: 58.95
Rank: 266
Henri Fabre
1882 - 1984
HPI: 58.86
Rank: 267
Louis Lumière
1864 - 1948
HPI: 58.84
Rank: 268
Alexandre Alexeieff
1901 - 1982
HPI: 58.77
Rank: 269
John Barnard
1946 - Present
HPI: 58.68
Rank: 270
Colin Archer
1832 - 1921
HPI: 58.68
Rank: 271
Léon Gaumont
1864 - 1946
HPI: 58.67
Rank: 272
Contemporaries
Among people born in 1933, Ray Dolby ranks 248. Before him are Jean Yanne, Chen Jingrun, Renée Taylor, Dennis Viollet, Tsuneko Okazaki, and Jiří Tichý. After him are Ruth Arnon, Vassilis Vassilikos, Haruo Remeliik, Mark Jones, Milena Hübschmannová, and Nicolae Rainea. Among people deceased in 2013, Ray Dolby ranks 219. Before him are Arik Einstein, Hans Hass, Wadih El Safi, Franca Rame, Nílton de Sordi, and Jonathan Winters. After him are Mirko Kovač, Emilio Pericoli, Joanna Chmielewska, Angela Voigt, Georges Descrières, and Robert Byrne.
Others Born in 1933
Go to all RankingsJean Yanne
ACTOR
1933 - 2003
HPI: 59.03
Rank: 242
Chen Jingrun
MATHEMATICIAN
1933 - 1996
HPI: 59.03
Rank: 243
Renée Taylor
ACTOR
1933 - Present
HPI: 59.01
Rank: 244
Dennis Viollet
SOCCER PLAYER
1933 - 1999
HPI: 58.97
Rank: 245
Tsuneko Okazaki
BIOLOGIST
1933 - Present
HPI: 58.96
Rank: 246
Jiří Tichý
SOCCER PLAYER
1933 - 2016
HPI: 58.95
Rank: 247
Ray Dolby
INVENTOR
1933 - 2013
HPI: 58.95
Rank: 248
Ruth Arnon
BIOLOGIST
1933 - Present
HPI: 58.93
Rank: 249
Vassilis Vassilikos
WRITER
1933 - 2023
HPI: 58.93
Rank: 250
Haruo Remeliik
POLITICIAN
1933 - 1985
HPI: 58.92
Rank: 251
Mark Jones
SOCCER PLAYER
1933 - 1958
HPI: 58.92
Rank: 252
Milena Hübschmannová
LINGUIST
1933 - 2005
HPI: 58.88
Rank: 253
Nicolae Rainea
REFEREE
1933 - 2015
HPI: 58.86
Rank: 254
Others Deceased in 2013
Go to all RankingsArik Einstein
SINGER
1939 - 2013
HPI: 59.03
Rank: 213
Hans Hass
FILM DIRECTOR
1919 - 2013
HPI: 59.02
Rank: 214
Wadih El Safi
SINGER
1921 - 2013
HPI: 58.99
Rank: 215
Franca Rame
ACTOR
1929 - 2013
HPI: 58.98
Rank: 216
Nílton de Sordi
SOCCER PLAYER
1931 - 2013
HPI: 58.97
Rank: 217
Jonathan Winters
COMEDIAN
1925 - 2013
HPI: 58.96
Rank: 218
Ray Dolby
INVENTOR
1933 - 2013
HPI: 58.95
Rank: 219
Mirko Kovač
WRITER
1938 - 2013
HPI: 58.89
Rank: 220
Emilio Pericoli
SINGER
1928 - 2013
HPI: 58.85
Rank: 221
Joanna Chmielewska
WRITER
1932 - 2013
HPI: 58.85
Rank: 222
Angela Voigt
ATHLETE
1951 - 2013
HPI: 58.85
Rank: 223
Georges Descrières
ACTOR
1930 - 2013
HPI: 58.84
Rank: 224
Robert Byrne
CHESS PLAYER
1928 - 2013
HPI: 58.83
Rank: 225
In United States
Among people born in United States, Ray Dolby ranks 5,180 out of 20,380. Before him are Doris Roberts (1925), Embeth Davidtz (1965), Stephen P. Synnott (1946), James Russell Lowell (1819), Sidney M. Gutierrez (1951), and Solange Knowles (1986). After him are Diahann Carroll (1935), Claire Danes (1979), Emily Deschanel (1976), Rhonda Fleming (1923), Jackson Showalter (1860), and Kate Walsh (1967).
Others born in United States
Go to all RankingsDoris Roberts
ACTOR
1925 - 2016
HPI: 58.95
Rank: 5,174
Embeth Davidtz
ACTOR
1965 - Present
HPI: 58.95
Rank: 5,175
Stephen P. Synnott
ASTRONOMER
1946 - Present
HPI: 58.95
Rank: 5,176
James Russell Lowell
WRITER
1819 - 1891
HPI: 58.95
Rank: 5,177
Sidney M. Gutierrez
ASTRONAUT
1951 - Present
HPI: 58.95
Rank: 5,178
Solange Knowles
ACTOR
1986 - Present
HPI: 58.95
Rank: 5,179
Ray Dolby
INVENTOR
1933 - 2013
HPI: 58.95
Rank: 5,180
Diahann Carroll
ACTOR
1935 - 2019
HPI: 58.95
Rank: 5,181
Claire Danes
ACTOR
1979 - Present
HPI: 58.94
Rank: 5,182
Emily Deschanel
ACTOR
1976 - Present
HPI: 58.94
Rank: 5,183
Rhonda Fleming
ACTOR
1923 - 2020
HPI: 58.94
Rank: 5,184
Jackson Showalter
CHESS PLAYER
1860 - 1935
HPI: 58.94
Rank: 5,185
Kate Walsh
ACTOR
1967 - Present
HPI: 58.94
Rank: 5,186
Among INVENTORS In United States
Among inventors born in United States, Ray Dolby ranks 68. Before him are Philo Farnsworth (1906), Charles Martin Hall (1863), Marcian Hoff (1937), George Pullman (1831), Glenn Curtiss (1878), and Michael S. Hart (1947). After him are Robert Cornelius (1809), Lester Allan Pelton (1829), Valerie Thomas (1943), Beulah Louise Henry (1888), Cyrus McCormick (1809), and Mark Rober (1980).
Philo Farnsworth
1906 - 1971
HPI: 60.22
Rank: 62
Charles Martin Hall
1863 - 1914
HPI: 59.86
Rank: 63
Marcian Hoff
1937 - Present
HPI: 59.63
Rank: 64
George Pullman
1831 - 1897
HPI: 59.47
Rank: 65
Glenn Curtiss
1878 - 1930
HPI: 59.38
Rank: 66
Michael S. Hart
1947 - 2011
HPI: 59.14
Rank: 67
Ray Dolby
1933 - 2013
HPI: 58.95
Rank: 68
Robert Cornelius
1809 - 1893
HPI: 58.46
Rank: 69
Lester Allan Pelton
1829 - 1908
HPI: 58.37
Rank: 70
Valerie Thomas
1943 - Present
HPI: 58.32
Rank: 71
Beulah Louise Henry
1888 - 1973
HPI: 58.20
Rank: 72
Cyrus McCormick
1809 - 1884
HPI: 58.04
Rank: 73
Mark Rober
1980 - Present
HPI: 58.03
Rank: 74