ASTRONOMER
Carl Sagan
1934 - 1996
Carl Sagan
Carl Edward Sagan (; SAY-gən; November 9, 1934 – December 20, 1996) was an American astronomer, planetary scientist and science communicator. His best known scientific contribution is his research on the possibility of extraterrestrial life, including experimental demonstration of the production of amino acids from basic chemicals by exposure to light. He assembled the first physical messages sent into space, the Pioneer plaque and the Voyager Golden Record, which were universal messages that could potentially be understood by any extraterrestrial intelligence that might find them. Read more on Wikipedia
Since 2007, the English Wikipedia page of Carl Sagan has received more than 13,506,728 page views. His biography is available in 98 different languages on Wikipedia (up from 97 in 2019). Carl Sagan is the 15th most popular astronomer, the 209th most popular biography from United States (down from 185th in 2019) and the 2nd most popular American Astronomer.
Carl Sagan is most famous for his work in the field of astronomy. He was a professor at Cornell University and taught astronomy and astrophysics. He also wrote many books about science, including "Cosmos" and "Pale Blue Dot."
Memorability Metrics
14M
Page Views (PV)
71.57
Historical Popularity Index (HPI)
98
Languages Editions (L)
5.92
Effective Languages (L*)
6.06
Coefficient of Variation (CV)
Among ASTRONOMERS
Among astronomers, Carl Sagan ranks 15 out of 644. Before him are Ulugh Beg, Ja'far al-Sadiq, Aristarchus of Samos, Edwin Hubble, Hipparchus, and Ole Rømer. After him are Aryabhata, Giovanni Domenico Cassini, Abd al-Rahman al-Sufi, Neil deGrasse Tyson, Charles Messier, and Heinrich Wilhelm Matthias Olbers.
Most Popular Astronomers in Wikipedia
Go to all RankingsUlugh Beg
1394 - 1449
HPI: 75.01
Rank: 9
Ja'far al-Sadiq
702 - 765
HPI: 74.58
Rank: 10
Aristarchus of Samos
311 BC - 230 BC
HPI: 74.32
Rank: 11
Edwin Hubble
1889 - 1953
HPI: 74.07
Rank: 12
Hipparchus
190 BC - 120 BC
HPI: 73.80
Rank: 13
Ole Rømer
1644 - 1710
HPI: 72.66
Rank: 14
Carl Sagan
1934 - 1996
HPI: 71.57
Rank: 15
Aryabhata
476 - 550
HPI: 71.20
Rank: 16
Giovanni Domenico Cassini
1625 - 1712
HPI: 70.57
Rank: 17
Abd al-Rahman al-Sufi
903 - 986
HPI: 70.31
Rank: 18
Neil deGrasse Tyson
1958 - Present
HPI: 70.27
Rank: 19
Charles Messier
1730 - 1817
HPI: 70.18
Rank: 20
Heinrich Wilhelm Matthias Olbers
1758 - 1840
HPI: 69.79
Rank: 21
Contemporaries
Among people born in 1934, Carl Sagan ranks 11. Before him are Leonard Cohen, Albert II of Belgium, Henrik, Prince Consort of Denmark, Giorgio Armani, Maggie Smith, and Gene Cernan. After him are Nana Mouskouri, Daniel Kahneman, Judi Dench, Leonid Kravchuk, Vavá, and Jane Goodall. Among people deceased in 1996, Carl Sagan ranks 6. Before him are François Mitterrand, Marcello Mastroianni, Tupac Shakur, Baba Vanga, and Thomas Kuhn. After him are Marguerite Duras, Krzysztof Kieślowski, Dzhokhar Dudayev, Jean-Bédel Bokassa, Joseph Brodsky, and Ella Fitzgerald.
Others Born in 1934
Go to all RankingsLeonard Cohen
MUSICIAN
1934 - 2016
HPI: 74.87
Rank: 5
Albert II of Belgium
POLITICIAN
1934 - Present
HPI: 74.25
Rank: 6
Henrik, Prince Consort of Denmark
NOBLEMAN
1934 - 2018
HPI: 73.84
Rank: 7
Giorgio Armani
DESIGNER
1934 - Present
HPI: 73.62
Rank: 8
Maggie Smith
ACTOR
1934 - 2024
HPI: 73.61
Rank: 9
Gene Cernan
ASTRONAUT
1934 - 2017
HPI: 72.36
Rank: 10
Carl Sagan
ASTRONOMER
1934 - 1996
HPI: 71.57
Rank: 11
Nana Mouskouri
SINGER
1934 - Present
HPI: 71.47
Rank: 12
Daniel Kahneman
PSYCHOLOGIST
1934 - 2024
HPI: 70.45
Rank: 13
Judi Dench
ACTOR
1934 - Present
HPI: 70.38
Rank: 14
Leonid Kravchuk
POLITICIAN
1934 - 2022
HPI: 69.80
Rank: 15
Vavá
SOCCER PLAYER
1934 - 2002
HPI: 69.00
Rank: 16
Jane Goodall
ANTHROPOLOGIST
1934 - Present
HPI: 68.62
Rank: 17
Others Deceased in 1996
Go to all RankingsFrançois Mitterrand
POLITICIAN
1916 - 1996
HPI: 76.90
Rank: 1
Marcello Mastroianni
ACTOR
1924 - 1996
HPI: 75.42
Rank: 2
Tupac Shakur
SINGER
1971 - 1996
HPI: 74.91
Rank: 3
Baba Vanga
OCCULTIST
1911 - 1996
HPI: 74.52
Rank: 4
Thomas Kuhn
HISTORIAN
1922 - 1996
HPI: 71.71
Rank: 5
Carl Sagan
ASTRONOMER
1934 - 1996
HPI: 71.57
Rank: 6
Marguerite Duras
WRITER
1914 - 1996
HPI: 70.72
Rank: 7
Krzysztof Kieślowski
FILM DIRECTOR
1941 - 1996
HPI: 70.57
Rank: 8
Dzhokhar Dudayev
POLITICIAN
1944 - 1996
HPI: 69.76
Rank: 9
Jean-Bédel Bokassa
POLITICIAN
1921 - 1996
HPI: 69.64
Rank: 10
Joseph Brodsky
WRITER
1940 - 1996
HPI: 69.23
Rank: 11
Ella Fitzgerald
SINGER
1917 - 1996
HPI: 68.63
Rank: 12
In United States
Among people born in United States, Carl Sagan ranks 209 out of 20,380. Before him are Johnny Cash (1932), Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803), Steve McQueen (1930), Thomas Kuhn (1922), John B. Watson (1878), and John Williams (1932). After him are Cameron Diaz (1972), Buzz Aldrin (1930), Benjamin Harrison (1833), Richard Gere (1949), John Quincy Adams (1767), and Robert Andrews Millikan (1868).
Others born in United States
Go to all RankingsJohnny Cash
SINGER
1932 - 2003
HPI: 71.75
Rank: 203
Ralph Waldo Emerson
WRITER
1803 - 1882
HPI: 71.75
Rank: 204
Steve McQueen
ACTOR
1930 - 1980
HPI: 71.73
Rank: 205
Thomas Kuhn
HISTORIAN
1922 - 1996
HPI: 71.71
Rank: 206
John B. Watson
PSYCHOLOGIST
1878 - 1958
HPI: 71.63
Rank: 207
John Williams
COMPOSER
1932 - Present
HPI: 71.60
Rank: 208
Carl Sagan
ASTRONOMER
1934 - 1996
HPI: 71.57
Rank: 209
Cameron Diaz
ACTOR
1972 - Present
HPI: 71.57
Rank: 210
Buzz Aldrin
ASTRONAUT
1930 - Present
HPI: 71.50
Rank: 211
Benjamin Harrison
POLITICIAN
1833 - 1901
HPI: 71.47
Rank: 212
Richard Gere
ACTOR
1949 - Present
HPI: 71.42
Rank: 213
John Quincy Adams
POLITICIAN
1767 - 1848
HPI: 71.38
Rank: 214
Robert Andrews Millikan
PHYSICIST
1868 - 1953
HPI: 71.34
Rank: 215
Among ASTRONOMERS In United States
Among astronomers born in United States, Carl Sagan ranks 2. Before him are Edwin Hubble (1889). After him are Neil deGrasse Tyson (1958), Charles Greeley Abbot (1872), Robert Woodrow Wilson (1936), Vera Rubin (1928), Clyde Tombaugh (1906), William Alfred Fowler (1911), Henrietta Swan Leavitt (1868), Asaph Hall (1829), Eugene Merle Shoemaker (1928), and Russell Alan Hulse (1950).
Edwin Hubble
1889 - 1953
HPI: 74.07
Rank: 1
Carl Sagan
1934 - 1996
HPI: 71.57
Rank: 2
Neil deGrasse Tyson
1958 - Present
HPI: 70.27
Rank: 3
Charles Greeley Abbot
1872 - 1973
HPI: 68.44
Rank: 4
Robert Woodrow Wilson
1936 - Present
HPI: 65.49
Rank: 5
Vera Rubin
1928 - 2016
HPI: 64.50
Rank: 6
Clyde Tombaugh
1906 - 1997
HPI: 64.47
Rank: 7
William Alfred Fowler
1911 - 1995
HPI: 64.05
Rank: 8
Henrietta Swan Leavitt
1868 - 1921
HPI: 63.61
Rank: 9
Asaph Hall
1829 - 1907
HPI: 63.36
Rank: 10
Eugene Merle Shoemaker
1928 - 1997
HPI: 63.01
Rank: 11
Russell Alan Hulse
1950 - Present
HPI: 62.19
Rank: 12