Shakuntala Devi Guinness Book record holder for fastest count in the world Date of Birth: 04.11.1929 Country: India

1. Shakuntala Devi: The Guinness World Record Holder
2. Early Life
3. International Recognition and Achievements
4. Recognition in the United States
5. Author and Legacy

Shakuntala Devi: The Guinness World Record Holder

Shakuntala Devi, an Indian mathematician, gained recognition in 1982 when she entered the Guinness Book of World Records for her phenomenal abilities in calculating numbers. On November 4th, internet users noticed a Google doodle dedicated to Shakuntala Devi, highlighting her extraordinary mathematical skills that earned her a place in the Guinness World Records. It took Devi just 28 seconds to calculate the answer to the equation 7,686,369,774,870 x 2,465,099,745,779 mentally. In 2013, Devi would have turned 84 years old, but unfortunately, she passed away in April due to a lung illness.

Early Life

Shakuntala Devi was born in 1929 in Bangalore, India, into a circus performer family. Her father, who came from an orthodox religious background, decided to leave his temple service and became an aerial gymnast in the circus. He noticed his young daughter's ability to effortlessly solve complex numerical problems when teaching her card tricks. They eventually began performing together on the streets, where she showcased her talents for small amounts of money. Remarkably, Devi never received any formal education, yet numbers arranged themselves in her mind with remarkable order and precision. Everyone acknowledged that her abilities exceeded the ordinary.

International Recognition and Achievements

In the mid-1940s, Devi and her family moved to London. However, she returned to India in the mid-1960s. She got married but divorced her military officer husband in the late 1970s, and in the early 1980s, Shakuntala Devi returned to her hometown, Bangalore. She continued to earn a living by demonstrating her incredible abilities, performing not only in India but also in Europe. In 1976, Devi made her debut in front of a New York audience. In 1982, she was included in the Guinness Book of World Records as the fastest human calculator. The book cited her remarkable feat of mentally multiplying the randomly selected numbers 7,686,369,774,870 x 2,465,099,745,779 in just 28 seconds.

Recognition in the United States

In the late 1980s, Devi returned to the United States, where her remarkable brain and abilities caught the attention of Professor Arthur Jensen from the University of California, Berkeley. The tests she underwent included calculating the cube root of 61,629,875, and Jensen noted in his report that Devi provided the correct answer before he could even write down the task in his notepad. In 1990, an article about Shakuntala Devi and her extraordinary abilities appeared in the academic publication "Intelligence."

Author and Legacy

While continuing to earn a living through her unique talent, Devi developed an interest in astrology and wrote more than ten books, including cookbooks and fictional novels. Interestingly, her first book, "The World of Homosexuals" (1977), delved into the topic of homosexuality in India. Shakuntala Devi lived her life in India, and in 2013, at the age of 83, she was admitted to a Bangalore hospital with respiratory issues. Her condition deteriorated rapidly, and after two weeks, she passed away due to complications involving her heart and kidneys.

On November 4, 2013, Google commemorated Shakuntala Devi's birthday with a personalized doodle in her honor.