Carl Sagan, the most important scientific popularizer of the 20th century, was born on November 9, 1934 . His contributions to the dissemination of scientific knowledge made this astronomer go down in history.
He was a pioneer in exobiology, a discipline that investigates the nature of life on other planets and its imminent discovery by humans.
In the 1950s he worked as a consultant to NASA and participated in iconic space exploration projects such as Voyager and Galileo. But undoubtedly his most recognizable project was 1980's Cosmos, one of the most popular television series of all time.
The program earned several NASA medals for scientific achievement, and was recognized "for distinguished contributions to the well-being of mankind." In addition, he wrote several popular books. One of them earned him the Pulitzer Prize for non-fiction in 1978.
He died of pneumonia at the age of 62 in the early morning of December 20, 1996. His legacy forever changed science and his merits in favor of the dissemination of scientific information have made him one of the most relevant figures for science throughout the 20th century.
Today, many follow in his footsteps to match his educational skills.
