Ronald Rivest is an American computer scientist and one of the co-inventors of the widely used RSA encryption algorithm, which is essential for secure online communications. He was born on May 31, 1971, and has made significant contributions to the fields of cryptography, algorithms, and computer security. Rivest is a professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), where he has taught and conducted research for many years. In addition to his work on RSA, Rivest has co-authored several influential books and papers in computer science. He is also a founding member of the MIT Media Lab and has been involved in various initiatives to promote the understanding and application of cryptographic techniques in technology.