Following Von Neumann's Death

This article, published in the Chicago Tribune, provides numerous biographical details about Von Neumann's personal, political, and professional life. The information can give us some insight into the kind of biographical information the people in Chicago and the surrounding areas might have been interested in, such as his country of origin, education, and notable accomplishments. The Chicago Tribune was not a national newspaper. Hence, the publication of Von Neumann's death in this regional paper suggests that the Chicago Tribune thought this "story" would interest its readers. (In the 1950's, the Chicago Tribune was  considered "moderately Republican" in its politics.) This could be a primary source to compare how different regions/political groups in the nation might have viewed and felt about Von Neumann and his death. 

The article mentions his life leading up to his eventual death. As a kid he was an intelligent mathematician and his father fueled his knowledge by giving him books on advanced math. Von Neumann believed that he could his knowledge of math to predict weather forecasts, he was successful and the Weather Bureau used his formulas to predict the wind. As a professor he worked with both Oppenheimer and Einstein. Overall, they talk about von Neumann being a very accomplished man with knowledge in many fields.

This historical newspaper from the New York Times, provides a present day recognition of the work by John von Neumann. Truly illustrating how acknowledged his influence was during his time. His leadership within the computing world was highlighted by his development of the stored program computer, which was revolutionary for the advancement of modern computers along with his architecture.

This article is particularly interesting for multiple reasons. It details the last days of Von Neumann by his wife, Klara. This article is a great resource for how Klara Von Neumann viewed her husband's last days and how she chose to present that information to the public. We can learn a lot about Von Neumann's attitude and work ethic in his last days, as well as the couple's relationship with each other, their work, and the public. 

This biography from the National Academy of Sciences highlights John von Neumann’s innovating contributions to the fields of mathematics, physics, computing and economics. He developed the games and economics theory, advanced computing, in which he was responsible for the stored program architecture, as well as helped shape nuclear research with his involvement in the Manhattan Project. Neumann’s brilliance and ability to incorporate mathematical precision and process across a multitude of fields made him one of history’s greatest scholars of math.

This article discusses the death of Klara Von Neumann, John Von Neumann's widow. It praises both Klara and John Von Neumann for their contributions to the atomic bomb and illustrates that even six years after his death, there was still some public interest in John Von Neumann and his wife, Klara, and their contributions.