Tech

Aaron Swartz

Co-authored RSS at 14; prosecuted over academic-paper downloads, he died at 26.

Aaron Swartz was born in 1986 in Chicago, Illinois, US. Aaron Swartz's background is described as Jewish American. Growing up, the family was affluent — his father founded a software firm in the comfortable suburb of Highland Park; the internet arrived at home early. Co-authored RSS at 14; prosecuted over academic-paper downloads, he died at 26.

Born: 1986 · Chicago, Illinois, US
Roots: Jewish American
Family: Affluent; His father founded a software firm in the comfortable suburb of Highland Park; the internet arrived at home early.
Education: Stanford (left after one year)
Started with: An RSS mailing list; Joined the web's standards discussions as a schoolboy; co-authored the RSS 1.0 spec at 14.
Affiliations & societies: None documented.; Information only — claims like these are often unverifiable and may be wrong.

The pathway

2001 · age 14
RSS 1.0
The youngest member of the working group; W3C meetings between classes.
2005 · age 19
Reddit, via mergerReddit sale
His Infogami folds into the young site at Y Combinator; Condé Nast buys it a year later, and he is fired soon after.
2008 · age 22
PACER
Liberates millions of public court records from a paywalled system; the FBI investigates and drops it.
2011 · age 24
The JSTOR case
Charged with 13 felonies for bulk-downloading academic articles at MIT; prosecutors' exposure estimates reach 35 years.
2012 · age 25
SOPA falls
His Demand Progress is central to the largest online protest yet against a US bill.
2013 · age 26
Dies by suicide
Weeks before trial; 'Aaron's Law' reform is proposed and the Internet Hall of Fame inducts him that year.

Frequently asked questions

Where is Aaron Swartz from?

Aaron Swartz was born in 1986 in Chicago, Illinois, US. Their background is described as Jewish American.

When was Aaron Swartz born?

Aaron Swartz was born in 1986, in Chicago, Illinois, US.

What is Aaron Swartz's background or ethnicity?

Aaron Swartz's roots are described as Jewish American. These are broad categories drawn from public sources, not statements about how the person identifies.

Where did Aaron Swartz go to school?

Aaron Swartz's education: Stanford (left after one year).

What was Aaron Swartz's family background growing up?

At birth the family was affluent. His father founded a software firm in the comfortable suburb of Highland Park; the internet arrived at home early.

How did Aaron Swartz get started?

Aaron Swartz started with an RSS mailing list. Joined the web's standards discussions as a schoolboy; co-authored the RSS 1.0 spec at 14.

Sources

Compiled from these references and contemporaneous press reporting. Figures are approximate; verify before relying on them.