A Biography of C.R. Rao

<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title> <jats:p> Calyampudi Radhakrishna Rao (C.R. Rao; 10 September 1920–22 August 2023) is widely regarded as one of the most influential statisticians of the modern era. His landmark 1945 paper, “Information and Accuracy Attainable in the Estimation of Statistical Parameters,” published in the <jats:italic>Bulletin of the Calcutta Mathematical Society</jats:italic> , introduced concepts central to statistical inference and information geometry, including the Fisher–Rao metric, the Cramér–Rao lower bound, and in conjunction with David Blackwell, the Rao–Blackwell theorem. These contributions, achieved by the age of 25, laid critical foundations for estimation theory, optimal inference, and the mathematical structure underlying statistical models. Over a career spanning more than seven decades, C.R. produced an extraordinary body of research covering multivariate analysis, linear models, statistical inference, and information theory, and remained intellectually active until shortly before his passing at the age of 102. This article presents a chronological account of his life and contributions and reflects on his enduring influence on statistics, data science, and the global statistical community. </jats:p>