I · The foundations
John von Neumann
1903–1957
Mathematician · Institute for Advanced Study · Manhattan Project
Gave us
The von Neumann architecture (program and data in the same memory). Game theory. Cellular automata. Self-replicating systems.
The story
Hungarian polymath who could compute 8-digit divisions in his head as a child. Worked on the EDVAC, the IAS machine, hydrogen bomb math, and von Neumann's ergodic theorem in the same week.