Science · 1903–1957

John von Neumann — Age & Birthday

Born: 28 December 1903 · Died: 8 February 1957 · Age at death: 53

How old was John von Neumann when he died?

John von Neumann died aged 53. He was born on 28 December 1903 and died on 8 February 1957.

Hungarian-American mathematician who designed the architecture of modern computers, founded game theory and worked on the atomic bomb

Did you know?He possessed an incredible memory and could reportedly recite entire chapters of books from memory years after reading them.

Quick facts

  • Date of birth28 December 1903
  • Date of death8 February 1957
  • Age at death53
  • Cause of deathBrain cancer
  • NationalityHungarian-American
  • BirthplaceBudapest, Hungary
  • Occupationmathematician, computer scientist, physicist

Editor's Take:

John von Neumann was one of the most brilliant minds of the 20th century. As a child in Budapest he could divide eight-digit numbers in his head. He made major contributions to pure mathematics and quantum mechanics. He invented game theory, the study of strategy. He worked on the atomic bomb at Los Alamos. His design for a stored-program computer became the model for almost every computer since. Colleagues joked that he might be a visitor from another planet.

Key Milestones

  1. 1928: Game theory – minimax theorem
  2. 1932: Quantum – foundations
  3. 1944: Theory of Games – book
  4. 1945: EDVAC – computer report

John von Neumann ( von NOY-mən; Hungarian: Neumann János Lajos; December 28, 1903 – February 8, 1957) was a Hungarian and American mathematician, physicist, computer scientist and engineer.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0

Profile

John von Neumann: The Polymath

Hungarian-American mathematician, 1903–1957

John von Neumann was born in Budapest on 28 December 1903.

He joined Princeton in 1930.

He worked on the Manhattan Project.

He wrote Theory of Games (1944).

Career highlights

  1. 1928Game theory: minimax theorem
  2. 1932Quantum: foundations
  3. 1944Theory of Games: book
  4. 1945EDVAC: computer report
  5. 1955AEC: commission

Did you know?The von Neumann architecture underlies most computers.

Age at death
53
Would be
122
Years since death
69

Explore John von Neumann's birthday

Questions people ask

Frequently asked questions

When is John von Neumann's birthday?
John von Neumann's birthday is December 28. He was born on December 28, 1903 in Budapest, Hungary.
How old was John von Neumann when he died?
John von Neumann died on February 8, 1957, aged 53.
Who shares a birthday with John von Neumann?
Famous people who share John von Neumann's December 28 birthday include Woodrow Wilson, Linus Torvalds, Liu Xiaobo, Denzel Washington and Stan Lee.

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Further reading

Reviewed by the Who Shares My Birthday editorial team.

Last reviewed: October 2026