Charles K. Kao

The Honorable Sir Charles Kuen Kao 高錕 GBM KBE FRS FREng
Born	(1933-11-04)November 4, 1933 Shanghai, China[1]
Died	September 23, 2018(2018-09-23) (aged 84) Sha Tin, Hong Kong
Citizenship	United States United Kingdom[1] Hong Kong[2]
Alma mater	University College London (PhD 1965, issued by University of London) Woolwich Polytechnic (BSc 1957, issued by University of London)
Known for	Fiber optics Fiber-optic communication
Scientific career
Fields	Physics
Institutions	The Chinese University of Hong Kong ITT Corporation Standard Telephones and Cables
Doctoral advisor	Harold Barlow

The Honorable Sir Charles Kuen Kao, GBM,^[3] KBE,^[4] FRS,^[5] FREng^[6] (November 4, 1933 – September 23, 2018) was a Chinese-born American and British electrical engineer and physicist.

He helped discover the development and use of fiber optics in telecommunications. Kao was awarded the 2009 Nobel Prize in Physics for "groundbreaking achievements concerning the transmission of light in fibers for optical communication".^[7] Kao holds dual citizenship of the United Kingdom and the United States.^[8] Kao is known as the "Godfather of Broadband".^[8]

Kao was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in 2002 and had speech difficulty.^[9] He died on September 23, 2018 from complications of the disease in Sha Tin, Hong Kong at the age of 84.^[10]

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} The Nobel Prize in Physics 2009 – Press Release. Nobel Foundation. October 6, 2009. Retrieved October 8, 2009.
2. ↑ Headline Daily (October 7, 2009). "高錕獲諾貝爾獎 國人驕傲". Headline Daily. Archived from the original on October 11, 2009. Retrieved October 7, 2009.
3. ↑ "306 people to receive honours". The Government of Hong Kong SAR. July 1, 2010. Retrieved July 1, 2010. ^{[dead link]}
4. ↑ "2010 Queen's Birthday Honours List SUPPLEMENT No.1 B23" (pdf). The London Gazette. 12 June 2010. Retrieved 12 June 2010.
5. ↑ List of Fellows of the Royal Society 1660 – 2007
6. ↑ "The Fellowship – List of Fellows". Raeng.org.uk. Archived from the original on June 12, 2011. Retrieved October 26, 2009.
7. ↑ The Nobel Prize in Physics 2009. Nobel Foundation. October 6, 2009. Retrieved October 6, 2009.
8. ↑ ^{8.0 8.1} Kelsey Mesher (October 15, 2009). "The legacy of Charles Kao". Mountain View Voice. Archived from the original on February 15, 2021. Retrieved November 30, 2009.
9. ↑ Ifeng.com: 港媒年初传高锟患老年痴呆症 妻称老人家记性差
10. ↑ Chiu, Peace; Singh, Abhijit; Lam, Jeffie (23 September 2018). "Hong Kong mourns passing of Nobel Prize winner and father of fiber optics, Charles Kao, 84". South China Morning Post. Hong Kong. Retrieved 23 September 2018.