Born: September 9, 1934
Died: December 20, 1996 Place of Birth: Brooklyn, New York
Major Notes:
Carl Sagan did much to popularize science, especially the wonders of space science, and helped develop critical thinking.
Sagan was born to a father who was a garment worker and a mother who was a housewife.
Carl Sagan was a good student and moved to Chicago where he received his bachelor, masters, and doctorate degrees.
Sagan was hired by Harvard University in Boston where he taught until 1968 when he moved to Cornell University.
During the early part of his career, he made discoveries concerning the planets Mars and Venus.
At Cornell, he was promoted to a full professor and also carried the title Director of the Laboratory for Planetary Studies.
He played a significant role in the development of early space expeditions.
Sagan was one of the first to think that Titan, a moon of Saturn, might have lakes or oceans and therefore could support life.
Sagan was a believer in extraterrestrial life and proposed that a plaque and record be placed on spacecraft in case they are ever found.
He help founded the Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal (CSICOP).
By numerous TV appearances and writing books, Carl Sagan was able to help explain to the general public what science and space exploration were all about.
In 1994, Carl Sagan was the first winner of the Isaac Asimov Award, awarded for general contributions to science and humanity.
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