Kaczynski, Theodore (1942– )

US mathematician and terrorist, known in the media as the ‘Unabomber’. He sent mail bombs to a number of people over the period 1978–95 in a campaign against technological development, killing three people and injuring 29.

The FBI referred to him, before his identity was known, as the Unabom, an abbreviation of ‘university and airline bomber’, and the media adopted various forms of this code name (variations included ‘Unabomer’ and ‘Unibomber’). He sent bombs 1978–87 and 1993–95 and was finally apprehended after his brother recognized his writing style in a published manifesto. He began serving a life sentence in 1996.

He received degrees in mathematics from Harvard University and the University of Michigan, where he worked in mathematical research. He was assistant professor of mathematics at the University of California in Berkeley 1967–69, the last professional job he held before living as a recluse.