Simplify the following text for a Grade 11 native English-speaking person.
Original: Benjamin Whiso Lee ( Korean language : ì í ì , Lee Whi-so ) ( January 1 , 1935 - June 16 , 1977 ) or Ben Lee , was a Korean-American theoretical physicist .
Simplified: Benjamin Whiso Lee ( Korean : ì í ì , Lee Whi-so ) ( January 1 , 1935 - June 16 , 1977 ) or Ben Lee , was a Korean-American theoretical physicist .