Ted Kaczynski facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ted Kaczynski
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Kaczynski after his arrest in 1996
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| Born |
Theodore John Kaczynski
May 22, 1942 Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
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| Died | June 10, 2023 (aged 81) FMC Butner, Durham County, North Carolina, U.S.
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| Other names | Unabomber, FC |
| Education |
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| Occupation | Mathematics professor |
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Notable work
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Industrial Society and Its Future (1995) |
| Relatives | David Kaczynski (brother) |
| Conviction(s) | 10 counts of transportation, mailing, and use of bombs; three counts of first-degree murder |
| Criminal penalty | 8 consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole |
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Span of crimes
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1978–1995 |
| Killed | 3 |
| Injured | 23 |
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Date apprehended
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April 3, 1996 |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Complex analysis |
| Institutions |
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| Thesis | Boundary Functions (1967) |
| Doctoral advisor | Allen Shields |
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Theodore John Kaczynski (/kəˈzɪnski/ kə-ZIN-skee; May 22, 1942 – June 10, 2023), also known as the Unabomber (/ˈjuːnəbɒmər/ YOO-nə-BOM-ər), was an American mathematician and domestic terrorist. He was a mathematics prodigy, but abandoned his academic career in 1969 to pursue a primitive lifestyle. In 1979, Kaczynski became the subject of what was, by the time of his arrest in 1996, the longest and most expensive investigation in the history of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The FBI used the case identifier UNABOM (University and Airline Bomber) before his identity was known, resulting in the media naming him the "Unabomber".
In 1971, Kaczynski moved to a remote cabin without electricity or running water near Lincoln, Montana, where he lived as a recluse while learning survival skills to become self-sufficient. After witnessing the destruction of the wilderness surrounding his cabin, he concluded that living in nature was becoming impossible and resolved to fight industrialization and its destruction of nature through terrorism.
Between 1978 and 1995, Kaczynski murdered three individuals and injured 23 others in a nationwide mail bombing campaign against people he believed to be advancing modern technology and the destruction of the natural environment.
In 1995, Kaczynski sent a letter to The New York Times promising to "desist from terrorism" if the Times or The Washington Post published his manifesto, in which he argued that his bombings were extreme but necessary in attracting attention to the erosion of human freedom and dignity by modern technologies. The FBI and U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno pushed for the publication of the essay, which appeared in The Washington Post in September 1995. Upon reading it, Kaczynski's brother, David, recognized the prose style and reported his suspicions to the FBI. After his arrest in 1996, Kaczynski—maintaining that he was sane—tried and failed to dismiss his court-appointed lawyers because they wished him to plead insanity to avoid the death penalty. He pleaded guilty to all charges in 1998 and was sentenced to eight consecutive life terms in prison without the possibility of parole. Kaczynski died in prison on June 10, 2023.
Kaczynski has been portrayed in and inspired multiple artistic works in the realm of popular culture. These include the 1996 television film Unabomber: The True Story, the 2011 play P.O. Box Unabomber, Manhunt: Unabomber, the 2017 season of the television series Manhunt, and the 2021 film Ted K.
Published works
- A proof of Wedderburn's little theorem in abstract algebra
- A challenge problem in abstract algebra
- Reprint and solution to "Advanced Problem 5210" (above)
- Kaczynski's doctoral dissertation. Complete dissertation available for purchase from ProQuest, with publication number 6717790.
- A brief paper in number theory concerning the digits of numbers
- A challenge problem in geometry
- Reprint and solutions to "Problem 787" (above)
See also
In Spanish: Theodore Kaczynski para niños
