INVENTOR
Charles K. Kao
1933 - 2018

Charles K. Kao
Sir Charles Kuen Kao (simplified Chinese: 高锟; traditional Chinese: 高錕; pinyin: Gāo Kūn; November 4, 1933 – September 23, 2018) was a Hong Kong electrical engineer who contributed to the development and use of fibre optics in telecommunications. In the 1960s, Kao created various methods to combine glass fibres with lasers in order to transmit digital data, which laid the groundwork for the evolution of the Internet and the eventual creation of the World Wide Web. Born in 1933 in Shanghai, Kao and his family settled in Hong Kong in 1949. He graduated from St. Read more on Wikipedia
His biography is available in different languages on Wikipedia. Charles K. Kao is the 81st most popular inventor (down from 75th in 2019), the 212th most popular biography from China (up from 218th in 2019) and the 2nd most popular Chinese Inventor.
Charles K. Kao is most famous for his invention of fiber optics.
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Among INVENTORS
Among inventors, Charles K. Kao ranks 81 out of 426. Before him are Léon Theremin, Jacques Piccard, James Naismith, John Browning, Alois Senefelder, and Rowland Hill. After him are Jacques de Vaucanson, Paul Gottlieb Nipkow, Oleg Antonov, Ray Tomlinson, Bi Sheng, and Raymond Damadian.
Most Popular Inventors in Wikipedia
Go to all RankingsLéon Theremin
1896 - 1993
HPI: 70.06
Rank: 75
Jacques Piccard
1922 - 2008
HPI: 69.96
Rank: 76
James Naismith
1861 - 1939
HPI: 69.80
Rank: 77
John Browning
1855 - 1926
HPI: 69.76
Rank: 78
Alois Senefelder
1771 - 1834
HPI: 69.75
Rank: 79
Rowland Hill
1795 - 1879
HPI: 69.62
Rank: 80
Charles K. Kao
1933 - 2018
HPI: 69.49
Rank: 81
Jacques de Vaucanson
1709 - 1782
HPI: 69.48
Rank: 82
Paul Gottlieb Nipkow
1860 - 1940
HPI: 69.22
Rank: 83
Oleg Antonov
1906 - 1984
HPI: 69.03
Rank: 84
Ray Tomlinson
1941 - 2016
HPI: 68.71
Rank: 85
Bi Sheng
990 - 1052
HPI: 68.70
Rank: 86
Raymond Damadian
1936 - 2022
HPI: 68.65
Rank: 87
Contemporaries
Among people born in 1933, Charles K. Kao ranks 52. Before him are Bernardo Provenzano, Samora Machel, John Hopfield, Gian Maria Volonté, Gene Wilder, and Lee Radziwill. After him are Antonio Negri, John Barry, Jerzy Grotowski, Jayne Mansfield, Ali Shariati, and Stanley Milgram. Among people deceased in 2018, Charles K. Kao ranks 48. Before him are Aaron Klug, Burt Reynolds, Sondra Locke, Arto Paasilinna, V. S. Naipaul, and Leon M. Lederman. After him are Bernard Lewis, Paul Allen, Jamal Khashoggi, Jin Yong, Gudrun Burwitz, and Robert Venturi.
Others Born in 1933
Go to all RankingsBernardo Provenzano
MAFIOSO
1933 - 2016
HPI: 69.85
Rank: 46
Samora Machel
POLITICIAN
1933 - 1986
HPI: 69.83
Rank: 47
John Hopfield
BIOLOGIST
1933 - Present
HPI: 69.81
Rank: 48
Gian Maria Volonté
ACTOR
1933 - 1994
HPI: 69.70
Rank: 49
Gene Wilder
ACTOR
1933 - 2016
HPI: 69.62
Rank: 50
Lee Radziwill
SOCIAL ACTIVIST
1933 - 2019
HPI: 69.62
Rank: 51
Charles K. Kao
INVENTOR
1933 - 2018
HPI: 69.49
Rank: 52
Antonio Negri
PHILOSOPHER
1933 - 2023
HPI: 69.41
Rank: 53
John Barry
COMPOSER
1933 - 2011
HPI: 69.40
Rank: 54
Jerzy Grotowski
FILM DIRECTOR
1933 - 1999
HPI: 69.33
Rank: 55
Jayne Mansfield
ACTOR
1933 - 1967
HPI: 69.20
Rank: 56
Ali Shariati
WRITER
1933 - 1977
HPI: 69.15
Rank: 57
Stanley Milgram
PSYCHOLOGIST
1933 - 1984
HPI: 69.15
Rank: 58
Others Deceased in 2018
Go to all RankingsAaron Klug
CHEMIST
1926 - 2018
HPI: 70.28
Rank: 42
Burt Reynolds
ACTOR
1936 - 2018
HPI: 70.17
Rank: 43
Sondra Locke
ACTOR
1944 - 2018
HPI: 70.01
Rank: 44
Arto Paasilinna
WRITER
1942 - 2018
HPI: 70.00
Rank: 45
V. S. Naipaul
WRITER
1932 - 2018
HPI: 69.95
Rank: 46
Leon M. Lederman
PHYSICIST
1922 - 2018
HPI: 69.68
Rank: 47
Charles K. Kao
INVENTOR
1933 - 2018
HPI: 69.49
Rank: 48
Bernard Lewis
HISTORIAN
1916 - 2018
HPI: 69.41
Rank: 49
Paul Allen
BUSINESSPERSON
1953 - 2018
HPI: 69.22
Rank: 50
Jamal Khashoggi
WRITER
1958 - 2018
HPI: 69.21
Rank: 51
Jin Yong
WRITER
1924 - 2018
HPI: 69.19
Rank: 52
Gudrun Burwitz
POLITICIAN
1929 - 2018
HPI: 69.19
Rank: 53
Robert Venturi
ARCHITECT
1925 - 2018
HPI: 69.07
Rank: 54
In China
Among people born in China, Charles K. Kao ranks 212 out of 1,610. Before him are Xiahou Dun (155), Wang Zhaojun (-50), Chien-Shiung Wu (1912), Emperor Wen of Han (-202), Empress Xiaoyichun (1727), and Jiang Wei (202). After him are Donnie Yen (1963), Shitao (1642), Meng Tian (-250), Xu Fu (-255), Emperor Ling of Han (156), and Zhao Bing (1271).
Others born in China
Go to all RankingsXiahou Dun
MILITARY PERSONNEL
155 - 220
HPI: 69.55
Rank: 206
Wang Zhaojun
POLITICIAN
50 BC - 100 BC
HPI: 69.53
Rank: 207
Chien-Shiung Wu
PHYSICIST
1912 - 1997
HPI: 69.53
Rank: 208
Emperor Wen of Han
POLITICIAN
202 BC - 157 BC
HPI: 69.50
Rank: 209
Empress Xiaoyichun
POLITICIAN
1727 - 1775
HPI: 69.49
Rank: 210
Jiang Wei
MILITARY PERSONNEL
202 - 264
HPI: 69.49
Rank: 211
Charles K. Kao
INVENTOR
1933 - 2018
HPI: 69.49
Rank: 212
Donnie Yen
ACTOR
1963 - Present
HPI: 69.38
Rank: 213
Shitao
PAINTER
1642 - 1707
HPI: 69.32
Rank: 214
Meng Tian
MILITARY PERSONNEL
250 BC - 210 BC
HPI: 69.29
Rank: 215
Xu Fu
EXPLORER
255 BC - Present
HPI: 69.28
Rank: 216
Emperor Ling of Han
POLITICIAN
156 - 189
HPI: 69.28
Rank: 217
Zhao Bing
POLITICIAN
1271 - 1279
HPI: 69.27
Rank: 218
Among INVENTORS In China
Among inventors born in China, Charles K. Kao ranks 2. Before him are Cai Lun (48). After him are Bi Sheng (990), Taiichi Ohno (1912), Yuan Longping (1930), Thonmi Sambhota (618), An Wang (1920), and Robin Li (1968).
Cai Lun
48 - 121
HPI: 79.13
Rank: 1
Charles K. Kao
1933 - 2018
HPI: 69.49
Rank: 2
Bi Sheng
990 - 1052
HPI: 68.70
Rank: 3
Taiichi Ohno
1912 - 1990
HPI: 65.31
Rank: 4
Yuan Longping
1930 - 2021
HPI: 61.42
Rank: 5
Thonmi Sambhota
618 - 658
HPI: 60.59
Rank: 6
An Wang
1920 - 1990
HPI: 56.08
Rank: 7
Robin Li
1968 - Present
HPI: 52.85
Rank: 8






















































