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This is a list of people who in childhood (at or before 13) showed exceptional abilities in a specific field comparable to those of a highly skilled adult; hence the term child prodigy.

Contents 1 Mathematics and science 1.1 Mathematics 1.1.1 Mental calculators 1.2 Physics 1.3 Mechanical engineering 1.4 Medicine 1.5 Biology 1.6 Psychology 2 The Arts 2.1 Acting/directing 2.2 Music 2.3 Literature 2.4 Visual arts 3 Humanities 3.1 Academics 3.2 Humane Letters: Leadership, Teaching, Evangelism 3.3 Law/philosophy 3.4 Linguistics/translation 4 Sports and games 5 Legendary 6 See also 7 References 8 Web sources 9 External links

[edit] Mathematics and science

[edit] Mathematics

• Srinivasa Ramanujan(22 December 1887 – 26 April 1920) was an Indian mathematician, who, with almost no formal training in pure mathematics, made substantial contributions to mathematical analysis, number theory, infinite series and continued fractions.
• March Tian Boedihardjo: an Indonesian-Chinese born in 1998. In 2007, he gained entry into Hong Kong Baptist University to study mathematics at the age of 9, becoming the youngest ever university student in Hong Kong.
• William James Sidis: he set a record in 1909 by becoming the youngest person to enroll at Harvard College, being 11 years old.
• Sufiah Yusof : a Malaysian, in 1997, she gained entry into St. Hilda's College, Oxford University to study mathematics at the age of 12. ^[1]
• Terence Tao
• Magnus LaDue At 9 years old, he discovered an error in one of the Laplace transforms in the CRC Standard Mathematical Tables and Formulae. The incorrect result appears in formula 36 on p. 607.
• Sir William Rowan Hamilton The great mathematician read Hebrew at the age of seven, and studied Arabic, Persian, Greek, Latin, Syriac, Sanskrit and four others continental languages when he was twelve.^[2]
• Blaise Pascal (June 19, 1623 – August 19, 1662): A French mathematician, physicist, and religious philosopher who wrote a treatise on vibrating bodies at age 9, his first proof on a wall with a piece of coal at age 11 and a theorem by age 16. Famous for Pascal's theorem and many other contributions in mathematics, philosophy, and physics.

[edit] Mental calculators

Note: Several mathematicians were mental calculators when they were still children. This section is for child prodigies largely or primarily known for calculating skills. It should be noted that mental calculators are sometimes more like savants than they are like child prodigies. They have skills that rarely exist in adults and they may not be truly "mature" in mathematical understanding.

• Shakuntala Devi: Her abilities were first recognized at age 3.^[3]
• John Von Neumann: A "mental calculator" by age 6 who could tell jokes in classical Greek.^[4][5]
• Alexis Lemaire: Holds the most famous mental calculation world record.^[6]
• Truman Henry Safford: At ten years old he could square 18 digit numbers, later in life became an astronomer.^[7]

[edit] Physics

• Moshe Kai Cavalin: enrolled at East Los Angeles College at age 8, graduated at age 11 and now plans to study astrophysics and mathematics.^[8]
• Mikaela Fudolig: Finished college at the age of 16 with a degree in Physics, summa cum laude and class valedictorian (Class of 2007), at the University of the Philippines. Entered university at 11. Currently teaches Physics at the same university.^[9]
• Denis Krasnov (Russian: Денис Владимирович Краснов: Prodigy from former USSR. Accepted to school at the age of 5 and at Moscow Engineering Physics Institute at the age of 13.^[10]
• Tathagat Avatar Tulsi: Undergraduate degree at age 10^[11]
• Kim Ung-Yong: Attended university physics courses at age 4, Ph.D in physics before age 15.^[12]
• Song Yoo-geun: Physics prodigy who entered university at age 8.^[13]

[edit] Mechanical engineering

• Karl Benz: at the age of nine he started at the scientifically oriented Lyzeum, went on to study at the Poly-Technical University under the instruction of Ferdinand Redtenbacher, and at age fifteen he passed the entrance exam for mechanical engineering at the University of Karlsruhe

[edit] Medicine

• Balamurali Ambati: He graduated from High School at 11, was a college junior by age 12, and a doctor at 17.^[14]
• Avicenna: Memorized the Quran at age ten, studying medicine at 13.^[15]
• Sho Yano: He started college at age 9 and graduated summa cum laude at age 12 from Loyola University Chicago. At 15 he attends the Pritzker School of Medicine^[16]

[edit] Biology

• Mark Jay Sheridan: Published paper on branches of Symbiosis at 10, received scholarship to California Institute of Technology at 13 and earned Ph.D by 17; now a well known biologist.

^[17]

[edit] Psychology

• Jean Piaget: Published a paper on the albino sparrow at 11, later a psychologist.^[18]

[edit] The Arts

[edit] Acting/directing

Note: This section is mostly limited to child actors or directors who were respected enough to be nominated or win awards against adult competitors or who were declared prodigies. It also includes a few actors from eras predating film who were declared theatrical prodigies. This section must be limited in this way because being even an award-winning child actor is not, in itself, prodigious. (For child actors who won against juvenile competition see Academy Juvenile Award. These names do not necessarily equate to being competitive with adults and therefore do not necessarily fit as prodigies.)

• William Henry West Betty: A sensation as a boy doing Voltaire and Shakespeare roles.^[19][20]
• Jackie Cooper: Youngest nominee for the Best Actor Oscar at age 9.^[21]
• Quinn Cummings: Oscar and Golden Globe Award nominee at age 10.^[22] Now a businesswoman and blogger.
• Brandon De Wilde: At seven he was the first child actor to win the Donaldson Award and his talent was praised by John Gielgud in the following year.^[23]. He was a nominee for the Best Supporting Actor Oscar at age 11 for Shane.^[24]
• Jodelle Ferland: Daytime Emmy nomination at 4 and at 12 was nominated at the 27th Genie Awards for lead actress.^[25]
• Justin Henry: Youngest nominee for the Best Supporting Actor Oscar at age eight for Kramer vs. Kramer^[24]
• Patty McCormack: Nominated for the Best Supporting Actress Oscar against adult competition at 11 in an era when child actors could still be nominated for the Juvenile Award.^[26]
• Frankie Michaels: At 11 he received praise^[27] and a Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical for his role in Mame.^[28]
• Tatum O'Neal: Won the Best Supporting Actress Oscar at age 10 for her 1973 role in Paper Moon, making her the youngest person ever to win a regularly awarded Oscar.^[22]
• Haley Joel Osment: Nominee for the Best Supporting Actor Oscar at age 11.^[24][29]
• Anna Paquin: She won the Best Supporting Actress Oscar at age 11.^[22][30]
• Ricky Schroder: Golden Globe Award at age nine, youngest winner.^[31]
• Shirley Temple: At 5 years old she showed talent as an actress and tap dancer. When she was 7 she received a special Academy Award. She was described as a prodigy by Time (magazine) in 1936.^[32]
• Ernest Truex: He did^{[clarification needed]} Shakespeare at age 6.^[33][34]

[edit] Music

See List of music prodigies.

[edit] Literature

• William Cullen Bryant: Published at ten, had a book of political satire poems at 13.^[35]
• Thomas Chatterton: He started as a poet at age 11. He began composing the poems that would make him famous at age 12.^[36][37]
• Lucretia Maria Davidson: By 11 had written some poems of note and before her death at 16 received praise as a writer.^[38]
• H. P. Lovecraft: recited poetry at age 2 and wrote long poems at age 5^[39][40]
• Lope de Vega: wrote his first play at the age of 12.^[41][42] Could read Latin at 5 and was translating Latin verse at ten.

[edit] Visual arts

• Gian Lorenzo Bernini: at 7, his sketches caught the eye of Pope Paul V, he also sculpted Martyrdom of St. Lawrence at the age of 16
• Albrecht Durer
• Akiane Kramarik: 14-year old artist who has been featured on television and in museums since age 10.^[43]
• Leonardo da Vinci
• Jan Lievens: Painter apprenticed at 8 and an independent artist at 12.^[44]
• John Everett Millais: Painter who entered the Royal Academy at eleven.^[45][46]
• Alexandra Nechita: Painter with solo exhibit at age eight.^[47]
• Pablo Picasso: His Picador is from age eight, see List of Picasso artworks 1889-1900.
• Wang Yani: Her paintings appeared on postage stamps at age 6 and worldwide museum exhibits at 12.
• Zhu Da: Prodigy poet by age 7 and later a painter.^[48][49]

[edit] Humanities

[edit] Academics

• Michael Kearney: Several degrees with the first being earned at age 10. He is currently noted as a "17 year old professor."^[50][51]
• Gregory R. Smith: He entered college at age 10 and was first nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize at age 12.^[52][53]

[edit] Humane Letters: Leadership, Teaching, Evangelism

• Adora Svitak: Born in 1997, by age 10 a noted author, humanitarian, teacher, and childrens' literature and literacy evangelist. She published her first book at age 7. She presents writing workshops to hundreds of children at a time, holding them in thrall with microphone, computer, and overhead projector.^[54]
• Aman Rehman: He made more than 1000 animated movies, beginnig at 3^[55], and, at 8, he became the youngest college-lecturer in the world.^[56]
• Abdul Aleem Siddiqi: memorized the whole Qur'an at four, and made his first speech (in a mosque) at eight.
• Mohammad Hossein Tabatabai: Born in 1991, he could recite the Qur'an at the age of two, and memorized it completly at 5. He was awarded a PhD from Coventry University in 1997.

[edit] Law/philosophy

• Jeremy Bentham: He studied Latin at age 3 and entered The Queen's College, Oxford at 12.^[57][58]
• Saul Kripke: Invited to apply for a teaching post at Harvard while still in high school.^[59][60]
• John Stuart Mill: Knew several dead languages by age eight and studied scholastic philosophy at 12.^[61][62]

[edit] Linguistics/translation

• Asad Ullah Qayyum : By the age of seven, this Pakistani boy was able to deliver speeches in 12 languages.^[63]
• John Barratier: Knew six languages by the age of 11. ^[64]
• Jean-François Champollion: He knew several dead languages at age 10 and at 16 he read an important paper at the Grenoble Academy.^[65][66]
• William James Sidis: He reportedly taught 8 languages by the age of 8.
• Thomas Young (scientist): More noted as a physicist, he was a polyglot at a young age who worked on translating Demotic Egyptian^[67][68][66]

[edit] Sports and games

• Fabiano Caruana: A chess prodigy discovered at age 5, that in 2007 at age 14 became the youngest ever America and Italian Grandmaster (Dual citizenship) ^[69]
• José Raúl Capablanca: one of the best chess players of all time.
• Freddy Adu: IMG Soccer Academy at age 12 and turned professional at 14.^[70]
• Cho Hunhyun: A professional go player at age 9.^[71]
• Fu Mingxia: A diver, referred to as a child prodigy by at least two sources,^[72][73] and was an Olympic gold medalist at 13.
• Willie Mosconi: Nicknamed "Mr. Pocket Billiards" he played professionals at age 6.^[74]
• Ronnie O'Sullivan: snooker player. Scored his first century break aged 10,^[75] his first maximum at 15 and was youngest ever winner of a ranking event at 17.
• Michelle Wie: Qualified for the USGA Women's Amateur Public Links at 10 and won the same event at 13, making her the youngest person both to qualify for and win a USGA adult national championship.^[76]
• Tiger Woods: He first won the Optimist International Junior tournament at age 8, playing in the 9-10 age group since there was no group for 8-year-olds at the time.^[77][78]
• Wayne Gretzky: At age 6 he was skating with 10-year-olds. By the age of ten he scored 378 goals and 139 assists in just 85 games with the Nadrofsky Steelers. ^[79]
• Dominique Moceanu: Gymnast. Reached the elite level of the sport at age 9 and was performing beyond-Olympic level skills even earlier. Won the Senior US National Championships at age 13, the youngest to ever do so, and will forever hold that record, as the age limit for senior competitors has now been raised. Won an Olympic gold medal at age 14 with team.
• Judith, Zsuzsa, and Zsófia Polgár: Chessplayers of Hungarian Jewish origin. Born between 1969 and 1976 the sisters reached their superior chess skills each before age 13, as a result of the experiment of their psychologist father László Polgár.
• Nicholas Nip: Youngest ever USCF Chess Master with a rating of 2207 at age 9 years 11 months.
• Ricky Rubio: Turned a professional basketball player at 14 and became the youngest player winning an Olympic Medal (silver at the 2008 Olympics).
• Joshua Waitzkin: Chess Prodigy at age 6, and current Tai Chi Master. Made popular by movie Searching for Bobby Fischer.
• Victor De Leon III: At age 6 years old Victor De Leon aka Lil Poison became the Youngest Professional Video Gamer in the World. He is enlisted in the 2008 and 2009 Guinness Book of World Record. At age 9 years old Lil Poison was seated 1st place in a 1 vs 1 video game challenge out of over 3500 competitors.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Legendary

This is for historic children who have become representatives of the "prodigy" phenomenon, inspiring literature on it, but whose actual accomplishments have not been firmly established due to the poor sourcing or records of their era.

• Gaon of Vilna: A historically significant rabbi called a prodigy in youth and who has been said to have had a variety of skills by age 11.^[80]
• Okita Sōji (1842 or 1844-1868): Prodigy of kenjutsu (swordsmanship), who defeated a kenjutsu master by age 12 and became a master of kenjutsu and a school head (Jukutou) at 18 or so. He died from tuberculosis in his mid-twenties.

[edit] See also

• Chess prodigy
• List of child prodigies in fiction

[edit] References

• Gifted Children: Myths and Realities by Ellen Winner: ISBN 0-465-01759-2
• Children Above 180 IQ: Standford-Binet Origin and Development by Leta Stetter Hollingworth: ISBN 0-405-06467-5
• Child Prodigies and Exceptional Early Achievers by John Radford: ISBN 0-02-925635-6

[edit] Web sources

[edit] External links

• The Origins and Ends of Giftedness by Ellen Winner
• Time Asia
• History of the education of gifted children by Ellen Summers