b. 1928
Noam Chomsky is an American linguist, philosopher, and cognitive scientist whose work on generative grammar revolutionized the study of language. He is also widely known for his critiques of empiricism, behaviorism, and various philosophical positions on language and mind, as well as his extensive political commentary.
Founded generative grammar and transformed modern linguistics
Developed the theory of universal grammar and innate language faculty
Authored 'Syntactic Structures' (1957), launching the cognitive revolution
Critiqued B.F. Skinner's behaviorist account of language acquisition
Made foundational contributions to the Chomsky hierarchy in formal language theory