Born: 30 April 1777 · Died: 23 February 1855 · Age at death: 77
How old was Carl Friedrich Gauss when he died?
Carl Friedrich Gauss died aged 77. He was born on 30 April 1777 and died on 23 February 1855.
German mathematician known as the Prince of Mathematicians for his work in number theory, statistics, astronomy and magnetism
Did you know?He supposedly discovered how to sum the first one hundred integers while still a young primary school student.
Quick facts
Date of birth30 April 1777
Date of death23 February 1855
Age at death77
NationalityGerman
BirthplaceBrunswick, Germany
Occupationmathematician, geophysicist, astronomer
Editor's Take:
Gauss left his mark on almost every area of mathematics, and on much of physics too. As a young man he proved that a regular polygon with seventeen sides could be constructed with just a ruler and compass, solving a problem that had stood since ancient Greece. He developed key methods in statistics, including the bell-shaped curve of normal distribution still used in data science today. He also helped track down the lost dwarf planet Ceres using his calculations. A unit of magnetism, the gauss, is named in his honour.
Key Milestones
1796: Proves the 17-sided polygon can be constructed
1801: Publishes Disquisitiones Arithmeticae
1807: Becomes director of the Göttingen Observatory
1833: Builds an early electric telegraph with Wilhelm Weber
Johann Carl Friedrich Gauss (German: Gauß; 30 April 1777 – 23 February 1855) was a German mathematician, astronomer, geodesist, and physicist, who contributed to many fields in mathematics and science.
Carl Friedrich Gauss's birthday is April 30. He was born on April 30, 1777 in Brunswick, Germany.
How old was Carl Friedrich Gauss when he died?
Carl Friedrich Gauss died on February 23, 1855, aged 77.
Who shares a birthday with Carl Friedrich Gauss?
Famous people who share Carl Friedrich Gauss's April 30 birthday include António Guterres, Stephen Harper, Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden, Kirsten Dunst and Jaroslav Hašek.
