Michael Ventris was a British architect and linguist, best known for deciphering the ancient script known as Linear B. Born on July 12, 1922, he developed an interest in languages and archaeology from a young age. His groundbreaking work in the 1950s revealed that Linear B was an early form of Greek, significantly advancing the understanding of Mycenaean civilization.
Ventris's discovery was published in 1953, and it transformed the study of ancient scripts. Tragically, he died in a car accident in 1956 at the age of 34, but his contributions to linguistics and archaeology continue to be celebrated today.