I.M. Gelfand was a prominent Russian mathematician known for his significant contributions to various fields, including functional analysis, representation theory, and partial differential equations. Born on September 2, 1913, he made groundbreaking advancements that influenced both pure and applied mathematics throughout the 20th century. Gelfand was also a dedicated educator, mentoring many students and promoting mathematical research. He co-authored several influential texts and developed the Gelfand representation, which has applications in quantum mechanics and other areas. His work earned him numerous awards, including the Shaw Prize in 2005, highlighting his lasting impact on the mathematical community.