Carl Sagan
Astronomer
Birthdate: Nov 09, 1934
High School: Rahway High School
Yearbook photos of Carl Sagan from Rahway High School
Carl Edward Sagan (November 9, 1934 – December 20, 1996) was an astronomer. He graduated from Rahway High School, in Rahway, NJ, at age 16, where he was voted “Class Brains.” Sagan was a very busy high school student and participated in numerous activities. He served as president of the French club and chemistry club and was sports editor of the student newspaper. A member of the National Honor Society, he also found time to act in both the junior and senior class plays. Sagan had been fascinated with science since he was a small child and maintained a lifelong balance between analytic skepticism and wonder. He is probably best known as the host and co-writer of the 1980 public television series Cosmos: A Personal Voyage. Sagan was also an astronomy professor at Cornell University for most of his career as well as an advisor to NASA. He did extensive research on extraterrestrial life and was responsible for the first physical message that was sent into outer space. He also wrote a number of books on science as well as the science fiction novel Contact. The 1997 movie adaptation of the novel was dedicated to Sagan after his death.
Awards (partial list):
- NASA Distinguished Public Service Medal. 1977
- Pulitzer Prize for General Non-Fiction for The Dragons of Eden. 1978
- Peabody Award for Cosmos: A Personal Voyage. 1980
- Emmy for Outstanding Individual Achievement for Cosmos: A Personal Voyage. 1981
- National Academy of Sciences Public Welfare Medal. 1994
Source: Wikipedia
