Claude Elwood Shannon was born in Petoskey, Michigan, to Claude Elwood Shannon Sr., a businessman, and Mabel Wolf Shannon, a language teacher. His early life was marked by a fascination with mechanical and electrical devices, foreshadowing his future contributions to engineering and science. He inherited a natural curiosity and a penchant for problem-solving, traits that would define his career.

Shannon displayed exceptional academic talent, earning Bachelor's degrees in both Electrical Engineering and Mathematics from the University of Michigan. This dual expertise provided him with a unique perspective, allowing him to bridge the gap between theoretical mathematics and practical engineering applications, a key element in his later work.