Daniel McCartney
Encyclopedia
Daniel McCartney was an American who may have had what is now known as hyperthymesia
.
McCartney was born in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania
. Daniel was legally blind and lived with his relatives throughout his lifetime. Daniel never married due to his blindness.
Daniel was famous for his mental ability in two specific areas. First, he remembered every single day in his life from the age of nine until his death. Given any specific calendar date, Daniel in seconds could, give the day of the week, describe the weather conditions, describe what he did during the day, describe what he ate during the day, and could provide details of local, regional and national events on that day. In a recent and similar case as Daniel's, noted neurobiologist Dr. James McGaugh
of the University of California, Irvine
, one of the world's leading experts on human memory, reports on a woman with the astonishing ability to clearly remember events that happened to her decades ago. Dr. McGaugh labels this one-of-a-kind ability as Hyperthymestic Syndrome (National Public Radio, 2006). Daniel's mental aptitude appears to be nearly identical to this recent case reported in Dr. McGaugh's study. Daniel, however, had an additional mental ability - mathematical computation.
Daniel could mentally compute difficult mathematical computations in seconds, and extremely difficult ones in minutes. Daniel was tested several times by panels of university mathematicians in which he was given a battery of mathematical questions. On one such examination in July 1870 in Salem, Ohio
, Daniel was asked to take 89 to the sixth power, which he mentally computed in ten minutes, giving the correct answer of 496,981,290,961. On another examination he was asked to provide the cube roots of 4,741,632 for which he answered correctly in three minutes-(168); and 389,017 for which he answered correctly in fifteen seconds-(73).
On occasion, special sessions for the general public were held to witness mental examinations of Daniel's unique abilities. During these public exhibitions, Daniel was always correct in his responses, and would provide a response in a matter of seconds to the amazement of audiences.
He died at the age of 70 in Wilton, Iowa
. Daniel McCartney is considered to be one of the great mental calculators of all time.
Hyperthymesia
Hyperthymesia, also known as piking or hyperthymestic syndrome, is a condition where the affected individual has a superior autobiographical memory. "Thymesia" comes from the Greek word θύμησις thymesis, meaning "memory"...
.
McCartney was born in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania
Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 369,993 people, 149,813 households, and 104,569 families residing in the county. The population density was 361 people per square mile . There were 161,058 housing units at an average density of 157 per square mile...
. Daniel was legally blind and lived with his relatives throughout his lifetime. Daniel never married due to his blindness.
Daniel was famous for his mental ability in two specific areas. First, he remembered every single day in his life from the age of nine until his death. Given any specific calendar date, Daniel in seconds could, give the day of the week, describe the weather conditions, describe what he did during the day, describe what he ate during the day, and could provide details of local, regional and national events on that day. In a recent and similar case as Daniel's, noted neurobiologist Dr. James McGaugh
James McGaugh
James L. McGaugh is an American neurobiologist working in the field of learning and memory. He is currently a Research Professor at the University of California, Irvine....
of the University of California, Irvine
University of California, Irvine
The University of California, Irvine , founded in 1965, is one of the ten campuses of the University of California, located in Irvine, California, USA...
, one of the world's leading experts on human memory, reports on a woman with the astonishing ability to clearly remember events that happened to her decades ago. Dr. McGaugh labels this one-of-a-kind ability as Hyperthymestic Syndrome (National Public Radio, 2006). Daniel's mental aptitude appears to be nearly identical to this recent case reported in Dr. McGaugh's study. Daniel, however, had an additional mental ability - mathematical computation.
Daniel could mentally compute difficult mathematical computations in seconds, and extremely difficult ones in minutes. Daniel was tested several times by panels of university mathematicians in which he was given a battery of mathematical questions. On one such examination in July 1870 in Salem, Ohio
Salem, Ohio
Salem is a city in northern Columbiana County and extreme southern Mahoning County, Ohio, United States. At the 2000 census, the city's population was 12,197....
, Daniel was asked to take 89 to the sixth power, which he mentally computed in ten minutes, giving the correct answer of 496,981,290,961. On another examination he was asked to provide the cube roots of 4,741,632 for which he answered correctly in three minutes-(168); and 389,017 for which he answered correctly in fifteen seconds-(73).
On occasion, special sessions for the general public were held to witness mental examinations of Daniel's unique abilities. During these public exhibitions, Daniel was always correct in his responses, and would provide a response in a matter of seconds to the amazement of audiences.
He died at the age of 70 in Wilton, Iowa
Wilton, Iowa
Wilton is a city in Cedar and Muscatine Counties in the U.S. state of Iowa. The population was 2,839 at the 2010 census. The Muscatine County portion of Wilton is part of the Muscatine Micropolitan Statistical Area....
. Daniel McCartney is considered to be one of the great mental calculators of all time.
Biographies
- Henkle, W. D. (1871). A sketch of the life of Daniel McCartney, the man with a remarkable memory. Columbus, Ohio: Ohio State Journal Job Rooms. ISBN B0008BLVY0.