Robert Noyce
The quiet engineer whose silicon microchip became the bedrock of the digital age, co-founding both Fairchild Semiconductor and Intel.
1927–1990 (age 63)·American physicist and entrepreneur·Birthday: December 12·The Greatest Generation
Biography
Robert Noyce was the quintessential inventor-entrepreneur, a man whose practical genius helped invent the modern world. With a PhD from MIT and a restlessness from Grinnell, Iowa, he landed in the technological ferment of Northern California. At Fairchild Semiconductor, he was central to the development of the integrated circuit, a method of putting multiple transistors on a single chip of silicon. His approach was elegant and manufacturable. But Noyce's impact was equally managerial. He co-founded Intel in 1968 with Gordon Moore, fostering a famously open, meritocratic culture—shirt-sleeves and ideas—that became the template for Silicon Valley. While others refined the technology, Noyce provided the vision and the environment that turned the microchip from a laboratory marvel into the engine of the personal computer revolution.
The Greatest Generation
1901–1927
Grew up during the Depression, fought World War II, and built the postwar economic boom. Defined by shared sacrifice, institutional trust, and a belief that hard work and loyalty would be rewarded.
Robert was born in 1927, placing them squarely in The Greatest Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Robert Was Born
The biggest hits of 1927
#1 Movie
Wings
Robert's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1927Born
Lindbergh flies solo across the Atlantic; The Jazz Singer premieres
President: Calvin Coolidge"My Blue Heaven" — Gene Austin
1932Started school
Amelia Earhart flies solo across the Atlantic
Gas: $0.18/galPresident: Herbert Hoover"Night and Day" — Fred AstaireBest Picture: Grand Hotel
1940Became a teenager
The Blitz: Germany bombs London
Gas: $0.18/galHome: $2,938Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"I'll Never Smile Again" — Tommy DorseyBest Picture: Rebecca
1943Could drive
Allies invade Sicily; Battle of Stalingrad ends
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $3,290Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"I've Heard That Song Before" — Harry JamesBest Picture: Casablanca
1945Could vote
WWII ends; atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $4,600Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Sentimental Journey" — Les Brown & Doris DayBest Picture: The Lost Weekend
1948Turned 21
Israel declares independence; Berlin Blockade begins
Gas: $0.26/galHome: $7,450Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Twelfth Street Rag" — Pee Wee HuntBest Picture: Hamlet
1957Turned 30
Sputnik launches the Space Age
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $10,550Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"All Shook Up" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: The Bridge on the River Kwai
1967Turned 40
Summer of Love in San Francisco; first Super Bowl
Gas: $0.33/galHome: $14,250Min wage: $1.40/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"To Sir, with Love" — LuluBest Picture: In the Heat of the Night
1977Turned 50
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1987Turned 60
Black Monday stock market crash
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $72,400Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Walk Like an Egyptian" — The BanglesBest Picture: The Last Emperor
1990Died at 63
Hubble Space Telescope launched; Germany reunifies
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.80/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Hold On" — Wilson PhillipsBest Picture: Dances with Wolves
Key Achievements
- Co-invented the practical integrated circuit (microchip) while at Fairchild Semiconductor, for which he shared credit with Jack Kilby of Texas Instruments.
- Co-founded Intel Corporation in 1968, which became the world's largest semiconductor chip maker.
- Co-founded Fairchild Semiconductor in 1957, a company often called the 'traitorous eight' startup that seeded Silicon Valley.
- His work on the planar process for integrated circuits made them reliable and mass-producible.
Did You Know?
He was a champion wrestler in high school and college.
He and Jack Kilby are independently credited with inventing the integrated circuit; Kilby built the first working model, Noyce invented a more practical version.
He was awarded the National Medal of Science in 1979 and the National Medal of Technology in 1987.
His nickname, 'the Mayor of Silicon Valley,' reflected his influential and approachable role in the tech community.
“Don't be encumbered by history. Go off and do something wonderful.”
