INVENTOR
Ray Tomlinson
1941 - 2016

Ray Tomlinson
Raymond Samuel Tomlinson (April 23, 1941 – March 5, 2016) was an American computer scientist who implemented the first email program on the ARPANET system, the precursor to the Internet, in 1971; it was the first system able to send mail between users on different hosts connected to ARPANET. Previously, mail could be sent only to others who used the same computer. To achieve this, he used the @ sign to separate the username from the name of their machine, a scheme which has been used in email addresses ever since. The Internet Hall of Fame in its account of his work commented "Tomlinson's email program brought about a complete revolution, fundamentally changing the way people communicate." He is credited with the invention of the TCP three-way handshake which underlies HTTP and many other key Internet protocols. Read more on Wikipedia
His biography is available in different languages on Wikipedia. Ray Tomlinson is the 85th most popular inventor (down from 79th in 2019), the 1,273rd most popular biography from United States (down from 910th in 2019) and the 27th most popular American Inventor.
Ray Tompkins is most famous for his comic strip, "Calvin and Hobbes."
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Among INVENTORS
Among inventors, Ray Tomlinson ranks 79 out of 426. After him are Bi Sheng, Thomas Savery, Sakichi Toyoda, Henry Bessemer, James Hargreaves, Richard Arkwright, Vladimir K. Zworykin, Alexander Stepanovich Popov, Mary the Jewess, William Webb Ellis, Wolfgang von Kempelen, and Henri Coandă.
Most Popular Inventors in Wikipedia
Go to all RankingsRay Tomlinson
1941 - 2016
HPI: 68.50
Rank: 79
Bi Sheng
990 - 1052
HPI: 68.46
Rank: 80
Thomas Savery
1650 - 1715
HPI: 68.38
Rank: 81
Sakichi Toyoda
1867 - 1930
HPI: 68.35
Rank: 82
Henry Bessemer
1813 - 1898
HPI: 68.27
Rank: 83
James Hargreaves
1720 - 1778
HPI: 68.24
Rank: 84
Richard Arkwright
1732 - 1792
HPI: 68.17
Rank: 85
Vladimir K. Zworykin
1888 - 1982
HPI: 68.14
Rank: 86
Alexander Stepanovich Popov
1859 - 1906
HPI: 68.10
Rank: 87
Mary the Jewess
100 - 100
HPI: 67.75
Rank: 88
William Webb Ellis
1806 - 1872
HPI: 67.68
Rank: 89
Wolfgang von Kempelen
1734 - 1804
HPI: 67.48
Rank: 90
Henri Coandă
1886 - 1972
HPI: 67.45
Rank: 91
Contemporaries
Among people born in 1941, Ray Tomlinson ranks 79. Before him are Martin Evans, Gheorghe Zamfir, Chick Corea, Pierre Agostini, Izzat Ibrahim al-Douri, and Gérson. After him are David Gross, Princess Muna al-Hussein, Roberto Carlos, Navi Pillay, Paul Bremer, and Stokely Carmichael. Among people deceased in 2016, Ray Tomlinson ranks 60. Before him are Michael Cimino, Yasuo Takamori, Vesna Vulović, George Gaynes, Ahmed Zewail, and Robert Vaughn. After him are Michèle Morgan, Hans-Dietrich Genscher, Marvin Minsky, Sonia Rykiel, René Angélil, and Jacques Rivette.
Others Born in 1941
Go to all RankingsMartin Evans
BIOLOGIST
1941 - Present
HPI: 69.06
Rank: 73
Gheorghe Zamfir
MUSICIAN
1941 - Present
HPI: 69.05
Rank: 74
Chick Corea
MUSICIAN
1941 - 2021
HPI: 68.95
Rank: 75
Pierre Agostini
PHYSICIST
1941 - Present
HPI: 68.95
Rank: 76
Izzat Ibrahim al-Douri
POLITICIAN
1941 - 2020
HPI: 68.84
Rank: 77
Gérson
SOCCER PLAYER
1941 - Present
HPI: 68.80
Rank: 78
Ray Tomlinson
INVENTOR
1941 - 2016
HPI: 68.71
Rank: 79
David Gross
PHYSICIST
1941 - Present
HPI: 68.57
Rank: 80
Princess Muna al-Hussein
POLITICIAN
1941 - Present
HPI: 68.55
Rank: 81
Roberto Carlos
SINGER
1941 - Present
HPI: 68.53
Rank: 82
Navi Pillay
LAWYER
1941 - Present
HPI: 68.25
Rank: 83
Paul Bremer
POLITICIAN
1941 - Present
HPI: 68.24
Rank: 84
Stokely Carmichael
SOCIAL ACTIVIST
1941 - 1998
HPI: 68.23
Rank: 85
Others Deceased in 2016
Go to all RankingsMichael Cimino
FILM DIRECTOR
1939 - 2016
HPI: 69.36
Rank: 54
Yasuo Takamori
SOCCER PLAYER
1934 - 2016
HPI: 69.19
Rank: 55
Vesna Vulović
SOCIAL ACTIVIST
1950 - 2016
HPI: 68.85
Rank: 56
George Gaynes
ACTOR
1917 - 2016
HPI: 68.85
Rank: 57
Ahmed Zewail
CHEMIST
1946 - 2016
HPI: 68.82
Rank: 58
Robert Vaughn
ACTOR
1932 - 2016
HPI: 68.74
Rank: 59
Ray Tomlinson
INVENTOR
1941 - 2016
HPI: 68.71
Rank: 60
Michèle Morgan
ACTOR
1920 - 2016
HPI: 68.51
Rank: 61
Hans-Dietrich Genscher
POLITICIAN
1927 - 2016
HPI: 68.43
Rank: 62
Marvin Minsky
COMPUTER SCIENTIST
1927 - 2016
HPI: 68.38
Rank: 63
Sonia Rykiel
WRITER
1930 - 2016
HPI: 68.36
Rank: 64
René Angélil
PRODUCER
1942 - 2016
HPI: 68.34
Rank: 65
Jacques Rivette
FILM DIRECTOR
1928 - 2016
HPI: 68.25
Rank: 66
In United States
Among people born in United States, Ray Tomlinson ranks 1,273 out of 20,380. Before him are Robert Smith (1757), Philip Zimbardo (1933), Catharine MacKinnon (1946), Rey Mysterio (1974), Billy Joel (1949), and Anna Lee Fisher (1949). After him are Stan Getz (1927), John Belushi (1949), MacKenzie Scott (1970), Ida Tarbell (1857), Frank Marshall (1946), and William Kemmler (1860).
Others born in United States
Go to all RankingsRobert Smith
POLITICIAN
1757 - 1842
HPI: 68.72
Rank: 1,267
Philip Zimbardo
PSYCHOLOGIST
1933 - 2024
HPI: 68.72
Rank: 1,268
Catharine MacKinnon
SOCIAL ACTIVIST
1946 - Present
HPI: 68.71
Rank: 1,269
Rey Mysterio
WRESTLER
1974 - Present
HPI: 68.71
Rank: 1,270
Billy Joel
SINGER
1949 - Present
HPI: 68.71
Rank: 1,271
Anna Lee Fisher
ASTRONAUT
1949 - Present
HPI: 68.71
Rank: 1,272
Ray Tomlinson
INVENTOR
1941 - 2016
HPI: 68.71
Rank: 1,273
Stan Getz
MUSICIAN
1927 - 1991
HPI: 68.70
Rank: 1,274
John Belushi
ACTOR
1949 - 1982
HPI: 68.70
Rank: 1,275
MacKenzie Scott
WRITER
1970 - Present
HPI: 68.67
Rank: 1,276
Ida Tarbell
WRITER
1857 - 1944
HPI: 68.67
Rank: 1,277
Frank Marshall
ACTOR
1946 - Present
HPI: 68.67
Rank: 1,278
William Kemmler
EXTREMIST
1860 - 1890
HPI: 68.67
Rank: 1,279
Among INVENTORS In United States
Among inventors born in United States, Ray Tomlinson ranks 27. Before him are John Deere (1804), Josephine Cochrane (1839), Les Paul (1915), Ruth Handler (1916), George Eastman (1854), and John Browning (1855). After him are Raymond Damadian (1936), Leo Fender (1909), Elisha Otis (1811), Walter Hunt (1796), David Bushnell (1742), and Josiah Warren (1798).
John Deere
1804 - 1886
HPI: 70.77
Rank: 21
Josephine Cochrane
1839 - 1913
HPI: 70.52
Rank: 22
Les Paul
1915 - 2009
HPI: 70.39
Rank: 23
Ruth Handler
1916 - 2002
HPI: 70.21
Rank: 24
George Eastman
1854 - 1932
HPI: 70.10
Rank: 25
John Browning
1855 - 1926
HPI: 69.76
Rank: 26
Ray Tomlinson
1941 - 2016
HPI: 68.71
Rank: 27
Raymond Damadian
1936 - 2022
HPI: 68.65
Rank: 28
Leo Fender
1909 - 1991
HPI: 68.21
Rank: 29
Elisha Otis
1811 - 1861
HPI: 67.78
Rank: 30
Walter Hunt
1796 - 1859
HPI: 67.44
Rank: 31
David Bushnell
1742 - 1824
HPI: 66.94
Rank: 32
Josiah Warren
1798 - 1874
HPI: 66.85
Rank: 33