Born in 1929 in Bengaluru, Shakuntala Devi’s talent with numbers was discovered at age 3 when she solved complex math problems without formal education, astonishing audiences from the very start.
From childhood, she performed lightning-fast calculations mentally during stage shows. Audiences across India were amazed by her ability to solve large equations without any tools.
Her fame spread internationally in the 1950s. She toured Europe and the US, demonstrating her abilities in universities and on television, earning the title “Human Computer.”
In 1980, Shakuntala Devi entered the Guinness Book of World Records for multiplying two 13-digit numbers in just 28 seconds, a record that stunned mathematicians worldwide.
She was also an author, writing books on mathematics, astrology, and even a pioneering study titled The World of Homosexuals (1977), one of India’s first on LGBTQ+ acceptance.
Without formal education, her achievements were entirely self-learned. Her intuitive understanding of patterns and logic made her one of the greatest mathematical minds of her time.
Through her lectures and books, she encouraged students to see math as fun and creative, not intimidating. Her message: “Numbers are beautiful if you treat them as friends.”
Shakuntala Devi passed away in 2013, but her story continues to inspire films, books, and learners worldwide — a timeless symbol of India’s intellectual brilliance.