18-year-old becomes World’s Youngest professor

American engineer and educator Nathan Thomas has entered the Guinness World Records after becoming the youngest male professor in history, ending a record that had remained unbeaten for more than 300 years

Guinness World Records confirmed the achievement on its website on July 23, 2026, stating that Thomas earned the title when he joined the academic staff of Miami Dade College in August 2023 at just 18 years and 346 days old.

One of the remarkable aspects of his appointment was that many of the students in his first class, COP 2270: C for Engineers, were around the same age as he was.

Born on September 9, 2004, Thomas surpassed the long-standing record held by Scottish mathematician Colin Maclaurin, who became a professor at the age of 19 in 1717 and retained the title for 306 years.

Thomas also achieved the milestone 16 days earlier than American engineer Alia Sabur, who became the world’s youngest female professor in 2008.