George E. Smith

George E. Smith

George Elwood Smith was a clever scientist from the United States. He helped make a special part called the charge-coupled device, or CCD. This part helps cameras and computers see and store pictures.

Smith was born on May 10, 1930, in White Plains, New York. After studying, he worked at Bell Telephone Laboratories in Murray Hill, New Jersey. There, he and a friend invented the CCD in 1969.

Because his work was so important, Smith got many awards. In 2009, he shared the Nobel Prize in Physics with his friend Willard Boyle. The CCD changed how we take pictures and videos, making it easier for everyone to capture moments in daily life.

Smith loved sailing and traveled the world with his partner, Janet, for many years. He passed away at his home in Barnegat Township, New Jersey on May 28, 2025, at the age of 95.