If the film A Beautiful Mind starring Russell Crowe is in your top five, this might be a shocker. The mathematician who inspired the film, John Forbes Nash, Jr., was known for winning the Nobel Prize for Economics in 1994 after battling his own mental health issues all his life. Unfortunately, Nash’s life came to an abrupt end yesterday. Find out how he passed away after the jump.
John Forbes Nash, Jr., 86, who inspired the film A Beautiful Mind, and his wife, Alicia, 82, died in a horrific car accident yesterday (May 23) in New Jersey. The couple were riding in a taxi cab near Monroe when the cab driver made an attempt to pass another car and lost control. The taxi cab slammed into the guard rail, and the couple were ejected from the car. They were pronounced dead on the scene. The driver and a passenger in the car the cab tried to pass were both rushed to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries. Since the incident is sill under investigation, no charges have been filed.
After receiving his Ph.D from Princeton University in 1950, Nash became an accomplished mathematician and won the Nobel Peace prize for Economics in 1994. Although he had plenty of achievements, Nash was also battling schizophrenia. Seven years after Nash won his first Nobel Peace prize, Russell Crowe played a character loosely based on Nash’s life in the Oscar award-winning 2001 film A Beautiful Mind, alongside Jennifer Connelly. Nash just won his second Nobel Peace prize last week in Norway for his mathematical contributions.
Crowe took some time to reflect on Nash’s death on Twitter not long ago. See more photos of Nash and what Crowe had to say about his death in the gallery.
I admired John Nash for his valiant effort to let his disorder define his abilities. My condolences to their families. RIP