Maryam Mirzakhani (Persian: مریم میرزاخانی, pronounced [mæɾˈjæm miːɾzɑːxɑːˈniː]; 12 May 1977 – 14 July 2017) was an Iranian mathematician and a professor of mathematics at Stanford University. Her research focused on hyperbolic geometry, dynamical systems, complex analysis, and topology. In 2014, she was awarded the Fields Medal for her work in "the dynamics and geometry of Riemann surfaces and their moduli spaces", becoming the first woman and the first Iranian citizen to win the prize. Along with the Fields Medal, her work earned numerous honors, including the Blumenthal Award, the Satter Prize, and the Clay Research Award.
Born and raised in Tehran, Iran, Mirzakhani studied mathematics at Sharif University of Technology, graduating in 1999 before earning her doctorate from Harvard University in 2004 under the supervision of Curtis T. McMullen. She subsequently held positions at Princeton University and Stanford University, becoming a full professor at Stanford in 2009. Through her research in the 2000s and 2010s, Mirzakhani made major contributions to the understanding of hyperbolic surfaces, Teichmüller dynamics, and the geometry of moduli spaces.
HistoryLayer draws the world as it was in any year from 123,000 BCE to
2026. Move the slider and the borders redraw for that year; the map
carries 23,890 events, 12,790 people, 837 wars and 13,183 cities, each
one readable in place. Signing in is optional and lets you keep what
you find.