In what year was Carl Sagan born?

Carl Sagan was born in 1934. He was born on November 9, 1934, in the Bensonhurst neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York, to Samuel Sagan and Rachel Molly Gruber. His full birth name was Carl Edward Sagan.

Sagan grew up in a modest Jewish family during the Great Depression and developed an early fascination with astronomy and science fiction. That curiosity eventually led him to study physics at the University of Chicago and become an astronomer, planetary scientist, and influential science communicator.

Many people remember Sagan mainly for Cosmos, his books, and his advocacy for the search for extraterrestrial life. However, he also made important contributions to planetary science, including research on Venus, Mars, and the possibility of life beyond Earth.

A common mix-up is confusing his birth year with the dates of his major public achievements. Cosmos first aired in 1980, when Sagan was 45, and he died in 1996 at age 62.