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Robert Noyce's 84th birthday celebrated with a doodle

Google's homepage today is replaced with what looks like a microchip. The doodle that has replaced the search engine's logo is celebrating Robert Noyce's 84th birthday.

Noyce had co-founded the Intel in 1968, and has also been instrumental in the invention of the integrated circuit, also known as the microchip -- a crucial element in computer technology.

Born on December 12, 1927, in Burlington, Iowa, Robert Norto Noyce has been a major source of inspiration to young entrepreneurs who wanted to make a mark in technology.

Noyce was barely 12 years of age when he first built a boy-sized aircraft along with his brother. He is also known to have built a radio from scratch for which he used an engine from an old washing machine.

A lover of mathematics and science, Noyce was a PhD in physics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Noyce was a visionary and during his stint at Intel, he inculcated a strong work culture where he treated employees as family and encouraged team work.

He has won several awards and honours including the National Medal of Technology that was awarded to him by President Ronald Reagan in 1987.

In 1989, he was also inducted into the Business Hall of Fame by President George HW Bush.

Noyce suffered from heart attack and breathed his last on June 3, 1990 in Austin, Texas.