Photo: NightGaunt at Italian Wikipedia / CC BY-SA 3.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
Ron Rivest was born on May 6, 1947 in Schenectady, New York, United States and is credited as a mathematician, cryptologist and computer scientist. Ron Rivest is 79 years old as of 2026. Education on record includes Niskayuna High School and Stanford University. Awards on record include Turing Award (2002), Paris Kanellakis Award (1996), Marconi Prize (2007) and 5 more. Notable works include RSA cryptosystem and MD5.
My Take
Ron Rivest is, to me, one of those quiet architects of modern life that far too few people can name. Every time we shop or bank online safely, we lean on the RSA cryptosystem he helped create. The 2002 Turing Award, computing's highest honor, plus induction into the National Inventors Hall of Fame, confirm a legacy that runs beneath the surface of the digital world. I have a deep respect for thinkers who build invisible foundations rather than chase attention. Rivest is exactly that: understated, indispensable, and genuinely heroic in a way the public rarely sees.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Ron Rivest
- Name (Japanese)
- ロナルド・リベスト
- Reading
- ろなるど・りべすと
- Born
- May 6, 1947 (age 79)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Taurus / Boar
- Origin
- Schenectady, New York, United States
- Occupation
- mathematician / cryptologist / computer scientist / university teacher / information professional
2. Background
- High school
- Niskayuna High School
- University
- Stanford University
Awards & achievements
- 2002 Turing Award
- 1996 Paris Kanellakis Award
- 2007 Marconi Prize
- 2017 BBVA Foundation Frontiers of Knowledge Award
- 2004 IACR Fellow
- 1994 ACM Fellow
- 2000 IEEE Koji Kobayashi Computers and Communications Award
- 2018 National Inventors Hall of Fame
3. Works & records
| Category | Title | Role | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Notable work | RSA cryptosystem | — | |
| Notable work | MD5 | — |
4. Links
- Official sitehttps://people.csail.mit.edu/rivest/
- Wikipedia (English)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron%20Rivest
- Wikipedia (Japanese)https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%83%AD%E3%83%8A%E3%83%AB%E3%83%89%E3%83%BB%E3%83%AA%E3%83%99%E3%82%B9%E3%83%88
- Wikidatahttps://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q578036
5. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-24
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 Ron Rivest born?
Born May 6, 1947 (age 79).
Where is Ron Rivest from?
Ron Rivest is from Schenectady, New York, United States.
What does Ron Rivest do?
Ron Rivest works as mathematician, cryptologist, computer scientist, university teacher, information professional.
What is Ron Rivest known for?
Notable works include RSA cryptosystem, MD5.
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