Michael Ventris

Michael Ventris OBE
Born	Michael George Francis Ventris (1922-07-12)12 July 1922 Wheathampstead, Hertfordshire
Died	6 September 1956(1956-09-06) (aged 34) Hatfield, Hertfordshire
Nationality	British
Education	Architectural Association School of Architecture
Occupation	Architect
Known for	Decipherment of Linear B
Spouse(s)	Lois "Betty" Ventris (née Knox-Niven, 1920–87)
Children	2
Relatives	Francis Ventris (grandfather)
Awards	Honorary doctorate, University of Uppsala (1954) Kenyon Medal (1959)

Michael George Francis Ventris, OBE (/ˈvɛntrɪs/; 12 July 1922 – 6 September 1956) was an English architect, classicist and philologist who deciphered Linear B,^[1] the ancient Mycenaean Greek script. A student of languages, Ventris had pursued decipherment as a personal vocation since his adolescence. After creating a new field of study, Ventris died in a car crash a few weeks before the publication of Documents in Mycenaean Greek, written with John Chadwick.