Carl Sagan was one of the 20th century’s most influential scientists, a rare celebrity in the field whose influence touched not only the scientific community but culture at large. Born in 1934 in Brooklyn, New York, Sagan developed a fascination with the stars as a kid, an interest his mother encouraged him to pursue at the library. He later earned degrees in physics, astronomy, and astrophysics. An accomplished astronomer, Sagan worked as a professor at Cornell University, wrote several books, and was a key contributor to NASA’s Voyager program.

In 1980, Cosmos, a 13-part television series co-created and hosted by Sagan, aired on PBS. The show was a perfect encapsulation of Sagan’s ability to make complex science accessible, and it was a smash hit, eventually reaching hundreds of millions of people worldwide. Sagan’s charismatic presence didn’t hurt in making him a science celebrity, either; he frequently appeared on talk shows such as The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. He wasn’t without his critics: Some thought his approach was too speculative, while others felt he was too self-aggrandizing. Sagan nonetheless inspired a new generation of stargazers before his death in 1996 at age 62.