Jack Kilby: 1923 – 2005

Damn, there’s a run of obituaries in today’s Guardian that I feel the need to mention. The last one is of Jack Kilby, "the acknowledged inventor of the microchip, foundation of the modern electronics industry".

He came up with the idea of the integrated circuit in 1958. The timing meant that while I spent a few years at University doing electronic engineering and circuit design based on discrete components, by the time I got into Industry, much of that was being swept aside by integrated circuits. It was amazing to watch the change that occurred in the electronics industry firsthand.