Bill Nye, born William Sanford Nye, is an American scientist and educator. He is most popularly known for being the host of the children’s television show Bill Nye the Science Guy, which aired on PBS Kids from 1993 to 1998. Since the end of his show in 1998, Nye has remained a popular figure with the American public through various public appearances.
Born in Washington, D.C. on November 27, 1955 to parents greatly interested in science, Nye attended local public elementary and junior high schools, and attended the private Sidwell Friends School for secondary education. After graduating in 1973, Nye went on to attend Cornell University for mechanical engineering. In 1977 he graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree.
Following his college days at Cornell, Nye worked for the Boeing aircraft company in Seattle. While at Boeing Nye enjoyed acting in training films, which could be attributed to his television career later on in life.
After Boeing, Nye got a job as an actor on Almost Live!, a Seattle-based comedy television show. Nye’s days on Almost Live! were from where he derived his popular title, “Bill Nye the Science Guy,” after a co-worker jokingly used the moniker on set. Nye soon moved on from Almost Live! and got a position appearing in the educational, science-based segments of Back to the Future: The Animated Series
from 1991 to 1993. The program was hugely popular, and led Nye to begin his own educational television series, Bill Nye the Science Guy.
From 1993 to 1998 Bill Nye the Science Guy was popular for both entertainment and educational purposes. The show aired 100 episodes, and each episode taught a new topic in science to its audience, which largely consisted of young students. Nye’s comedic demeanor and iconic lab coat and bow tie were easily recognizable, and led the series to be used for educational purposes in classrooms across the United States.
Though Bill Nye the Science Guy ended in 1998, Nye has continued to make public appearances as a scientist and educator across a broad range of topics, from climate change to evolution.
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