The most extraordinary children in the world

Who could achieve more than them? A 3-year-old earns 1,000 euros per song, a 2-year-old opens their own art studio, and a 15-year-old earns a PhD in Physics.

“The most exceptional children in the world.”

1. Kim Ung Yong – Entered university at 4 years old, earned a PhD at 15, with the highest IQ in the world

Kim Ung-yong, born on March 7, 1963, is considered a prodigy from South Korea. According to the Guinness World Records, his IQ is 210. At just 5 months old, he could walk and talk; by 7 months, he could write and play chess. He started learning calculus at the age of 3. Before his 4th birthday, he could read and write in Japanese, Korean, German, and English. In 1967, at the age of 4, he solved complex problems in differential and integral calculus on Japanese television and spoke fluently in German, English, Japanese, and Korean.

Kim Ung-yong: The prodigy of South Korea

Kim Ung-yong was a guest student at Hanyang University from the age of 3 until he turned 6. At age 7, he was invited to the United States by NASA. He completed his undergraduate studies and eventually earned a PhD in Physics from the University of Colorado before he turned 15. In 1974, while still in university, he began research work at NASA and continued to work there until he returned to South Korea in 1978.

In South Korea, Kim Ung-yong’s PhD in Physics and his work experience at NASA were considered irrelevant, and he had to start over. He decided to switch from Physics to Civil Engineering and eventually earned a PhD in that field. Despite being offered opportunities to study at prestigious institutions in South Korea, he chose to attend a provincial university.

Free from pressure, he focused on his studies and graduated. Kim Ung-yong admitted that this was the happiest time since his birth. After obtaining his bachelor’s degree, he worked at the Research Institute of Soil and Environment.

Since 2007, Kim has worked at the business development office of Chungbuk University. Subsequently, he published numerous scientific papers contributing to South Korea’s development.

In 2014, at the age of 52, Kim Ung-yong became a professor at Shinhan University in Gyeonggi Province. To this day, he continues to advise on educational matters in South Korea. Particularly, he offers advice to parents on how to educate their children appropriately, emphasizing the avoidance of excessive pressure that can harm them.

Reflecting on Kim Ung-yong’s story, many have come to realize that being a prodigy doesn’t necessarily guarantee happiness. Kim himself reflected, “People hoped I would become an outstanding politician or a brilliant economist, but I don’t think my decisions were failures. I am successful and happy in my current life.”

Kim Ung-yong’s parents were both university professors and were born at the same time: 11:00 AM on May 23, 1934.

2. Gregory Smith – Nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize at the age of 12

Gregory Smith was born in 1990 in the United States and is an extraordinary child. He began reading at the age of 2 and started attending university at the age of 10. He graduated from university at the age of 13 with numerous honors degrees and is currently pursuing four PhDs at the University of Virginia.

At the age of nine, Smith founded the International Youth Advocates, an organization promoting peace and non-violence among youth globally. As a result, he was nominated four times for the Nobel Peace Prize. Gregory Smith has met with presidents such as Bill Clinton and Mikhail Gorbachev, Nobel Peace Prize laureates, and other world leaders. He has addressed the United Nations Security Council and represented the Christian Children’s Fund (CCF), advocating for children’s rights in a special session at the United Nations.

Among Gregory’s notable achievements are the establishment of Peace Schools in war-torn Kenya and the first public library in Rwanda.

3. Akrit Jaswal – a 7-year-old surgeon

Born on April 23, 1993, Akrit Jaswal gained worldwide fame for his extraordinary surgical talent. At the age of 7, despite never having received any formal medical education, he became known globally for successfully performing surgery to separate the fused fingers of an 8-year-old girl who had suffered burns.

Akrit Jaswal: The child prodigy doctor from India

Since the age of 4, Akrit has been particularly fond of reading books such as Gray’s Anatomy, anesthesia techniques, cancer, and various medical topics. In an IQ test, Akrit scored 146, earning him the title of “the world’s smartest boy.”

At the age of 11, Akrit was admitted to Punjab University in India, becoming the youngest student in the country. His reputation continued to grow, and around the same time, this young surgical prodigy was invited to Imperial College London to exchange ideas with scientists on simplifying basic medical education programs. Akrit boldly stated that he had millions of ideas for medicine, focusing particularly on developing a cancer treatment method.

4. Cleopatra Stratan: At the age of 3, she earned 1,000 euros per song as a child singer

At just 3 years old, Cleopatra became extremely famous

Cleopatra Stratan, from Moldova, became the world’s youngest successful singer at the age of 3 after performing for 2 hours with 28 songs at the Bucharest Concert Hall in Romania.

The concert, attended by 400 people, featured Cleopatra’s father, Pavel Stratan, a leading singer in Moldova, as her accompanist. Cleopatra also became the first artist to perform live on stage in front of a large audience at the age of 3.

During the performance, Cleopatra Stratan introduced songs from her debut album “La vârsta de 3 ani” (At the Age of 3), including popular tracks like “Mama” and “Ghita.” She sold 150,000 albums in just 4 months, setting a world record as the youngest singer to release an album. Additionally, Cleopatra set a record for the highest fee paid to a young singer.

Cleopatra achieved significant success in music, winning three MTV Romania Awards in May 2007. Her song “Ghita,” which became hugely popular in Romania, earned Cleopatra the award for Best New Artist.

5. Aelita Andre: a 2-year-old child artist exhibiting paintings at a famous gallery

The young girl Aelita Andre cannot yet tie her own shoelaces, but she is the central figure in many famous art exhibitions around the world. Aelita, at the age of 3, caused a sensation when she appeared in The Age magazine last year. At just 2 years old then, this pint-sized Australian artist already had an art exhibition in a gallery on Brunswick Street, Fitzroy. The public reaction at the time was not positive, as it was believed that her parents manipulated and exploited her.

However, Aelita’s family disregards the criticisms and continues to encourage their daughter to pursue her dreams. According to her father, everything they do is to support and motivate her. They collect Aelita’s paintings on canvas and clothing. Everything she creates is unique, which is why her artworks are highly regarded. Aelita’s parents also affirm that the money she earns is deposited into a fund for her to use when she grows up.

According to Oddity, with 32 paintings sold, each fetching up to $26,000 USD, Aelita now has a significant account.

6. Saul Aaron Kripke: was invited by Harvard to work while still in high school

Saul Aaron Kripke is considered one of the greatest contemporary philosophers today

Saul Aaron Kripke, a Jewish American, was born in 1940 in New York and grew up in Omaha. By fourth grade, he had mastered algebra, and by the end of junior high, he had a strong grasp of algebra, calculus, and began studying philosophy. While in high school, he wrote several essays that would later revolutionize the study of modern logic. One of these essays caught the attention of Harvard University’s mathematics department. Subsequently, he received a letter from Harvard inviting him to work there. His response as a high school student declined the offer, stating, “My mother said I should finish high school and go to college first.” After completing high school, Saul chose Harvard University for his further studies.

Saul Kripke was awarded the Schock Prize, a prestigious philosophical award equivalent in stature to the Nobel Prize. Today, he is considered one of the greatest contemporary philosophers in the world.