Enslaved but Brilliant
Thomas Fuller was born in West Africa in 1710 and was brought to America as a slave at the age of 14. Despite never receiving formal education, Fuller possessed extraordinary mental arithmetic skills. He lived in Virginia, where his mathematical abilities became widely known.
Incredible Calculation Skills
In 1780, two businessmen who had heard of Fuller’s reputation tested his skills. They asked him to calculate the number of seconds in 70 years, 17 days, and 12 hours. Fuller, without paper or pen, quickly responded with the correct answer: 2,210,500,800 seconds. The astonished men double-checked the answer with their own calculations and found Fuller was right.
Complex Problems, Simple Answers
Fuller was able to solve complex problems involving large numbers with astonishing speed and accuracy. When another problem about the number of seconds a man had lived (given his age) was asked, Fuller calculated it in just a few minutes—again, without any formal tools.
The Slave Who Outsmarted Mathematicians 🧮
Enslaved but Brilliant
Thomas Fuller was born in West Africa in 1710 and was brought to America as a slave at the age of 14. Despite never receiving formal education, Fuller possessed extraordinary mental arithmetic skills. He lived in… pic.twitter.com/j76A2mcIXk— Detective Tiger’s Stories (@TBBOB2) August 23, 2024