Abstract: This paper summarizes the growing up of 1967 Nobel Prize winner Hartline and his main achievements: discovering the single fiber activity of visual nerve cells, the receptive field of frog retinal ganglion cells, the lateral inhibition in nervous systems, and thus shedding light on the mystery of Mach band phenomenon in psychology. It also introduces his excellent qualities: great love for
science, curiosity and keeping pace with the times.

Key words: Haldan Keffer Hartline, visual information processing, lateral inhibition, Mach band