Carl Sagan Biography and Quotes
Birthday: November 9th, 1934
Commemoration: December 20th, 1996
Nationality: American
62
Years Old
Famously Known For
Carl Sagan was famously known for bringing astronomy close to the people. He authored no less than 600 papers and books talking about natural sciences and astronomy. His work contributed significantly to popularizing the field of astronomy. In the 80s, the people’s astronomer also gained popularity from narrating and writing Cosmos: A Personal Voyage, a TV series.
Early Life
Carl, the astronomer, was born in New York in 1934. His father Samuel was a textile worker while his mother, Rachel Molly Gruber, was a homemaker. While young, Carl attended the New York World’s Fair and since then he developed some interest in science and skyscrapers.
His parents discovered his passion for science and supported him by providing chemistry books and sets. The renowned astronomer attended Rahway High School where he passed. Carl went ahead to acquire three different science degrees.
Personal Life
Sagan was first married to Lynn Margulis with whom he had two kids. In 1968, the scientist remarried Linda Salzman, an artist who gave him one child. After divorcing Linda, Sagan married Ann Druyan, and the two had two kids. Sagan remained engaged to Ann until his death in 1996.
Career
In the 60s, Carl was working on the physical conditions of the planets such as Venus and Jupiter at the Harvard University and the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory. In 1968, Carl was appointed as the director of Laboratory for Planetary Studies at the Cornell University. Three years of good work saw the astronomer become a professor in the institution.
Carl also worked with NASA in choosing where the Vikings probes would land on Mars. In his 30s, Carl started talking about scientific issues that saw him gain the world’s attention. For instance, he spoke of aliens visiting Earth many years ago. He even testified before Congress about UFOs, a story that captured many headlines. In the 80s, Carl established planetary Society, an organization that focuses on space exploration. It’s this nonprofit organization that founded the series, Cosmos: A Personal Voyage, a show that saw Carl’s name get the world’s attention.
Death
Carl Sagan died from pneumonia on December 20th, 1996.
