Kim Peek

American savant (1951-2009)

Laurence Kim Peek (November 11, 1951 – December 19, 2009) was an American savant. Peek had brain damage since before birth, but was not autistic.[1]

Peek was considered a "mega-savant" because he was a genius on at least 15 different subjects, from history to sport. He was the inspiration for the character played by Dustin Hoffman in the movie Rain Man. Peek was a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon).[2]

On December 19, 2009 at age 58, Peek died of a heart attack in Murray, Utah.

References change

  1. York Daily Record, November 4, 1994. Accessed 2009-07-21
  2. Kim Peek, Mormon

Other websites change