Charles Kuen Kao (1933-2018) was a renowned electrical engineer and physicist. Born in Shanghai, China, he later became a British citizen. Kao's groundbreaking work on fiber optics revolutionized global communications. In the 1960s, he proposed the concept of using pure glass fibers for transmitting light signals over long distances, which laid the foundation for modern optical communication systems. Kao's research led to the development of low-loss optical fibers, significantly enhancing data transmission capabilities. His contributions earned him the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2009. Kao's visionary ideas and relentless pursuit of technological advancements have had an immense impact on the telecommunications industry, enabling the high-speed and long-distance data transmission we rely on today.