Photo: Jonathan Maltz / CC BY-SA 4.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
Leonard Susskind is a physicist, non-fiction writer and university teacher, born on January 1, 1940 in New York City, New York, United States. That puts Leonard Susskind at 86 years old in 2026. Education on record includes City College of New York. Listed accolades include Sakurai Prize (1998), Pomeranchuk Prize (2008), Science Writing Award and 2 more. Credited works include The Theoretical Minimum and string theory.
My Take
Leonard Susskind is, to me, one of the great minds of modern physics and also one of its finest teachers. A New Yorker who helped found string theory, he famously challenged Hawking over the black hole information paradox and helped change how we think about reality itself. The Sakurai Prize and Dirac Medal confirm his stature, but what I value just as much is The Theoretical Minimum, his effort to hand serious physics to curious outsiders. He refuses to dumb ideas down while still making them reachable. That blend of frontier research and generous teaching earns my deep respect.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Leonard Susskind
- Name (Japanese)
- レオナルド・サスキンド
- Reading
- れおなるど・さすきんど
- Born
- January 1, 1940 (age 86)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Capricorn / Dragon
- Origin
- New York City, New York, United States
- Occupation
- physicist / non-fiction writer / university teacher / scientist / string theorist
2. Background
- University
- City College of New York
Awards & achievements
- 1998 Sakurai Prize
- 2008 Pomeranchuk Prize
- Science Writing Award
- 2023 ICTP Dirac Medal
- Messenger Lectures
3. Works & records
| Category | Title | Role | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Notable work | The Theoretical Minimum | — | |
| Notable work | string theory | — |
4. Links
- Official sitehttps://profiles.stanford.edu/leonard-susskind
- Wikipedia (English)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leonard%20Susskind
- Wikipedia (Japanese)https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%83%AC%E3%82%AA%E3%83%8A%E3%83%AB%E3%83%89%E3%83%BB%E3%82%B5%E3%82%B9%E3%82%AD%E3%83%B3%E3%83%89
- Wikidatahttps://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q203243
5. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-21
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.
Frequently asked questions
When was Leonard Susskind born?
Born January 1, 1940 (age 86).
Where is Leonard Susskind from?
Leonard Susskind is from New York City, New York, United States.
What does Leonard Susskind do?
Leonard Susskind works as physicist, non-fiction writer, university teacher, scientist, string theorist.
What is Leonard Susskind known for?
Notable works include The Theoretical Minimum, string theory.
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