Tom Lehrer, Satirist and Mathematician, Dies at 97

Tom Lehrer, the renowned American satirist, mathematician, and singer-songwriter, has died at age 97 at his home in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Best known for his darkly humorous and incisive songs of the 1950s and 1960s, Lehrer lampooned subjects like politics, war, drug use, religion, and social taboos, gaining fame through albums and his work on the TV show 'That Was the Week That Was.' Despite his cult following and influence on later artists such as Randy Newman and 'Weird Al' Yankovic, Lehrer considered himself primarily a mathematician, teaching at prestigious institutions including Harvard, MIT, and UC Santa Cruz. His 1965 album 'That Was the Year That Was' reached No. 18 on the US charts, and many of his songs remain influential. Lehrer was a child prodigy, entering Harvard at 15, and never married or had children. His legacy endures as a pioneering figure in musical satire and black comedy.