Neil deGrasse Tyson Timeline

Today, popular astrophysicist and science communicator Neil deGrasse Tyson turns 60. Completing extensive academic studies in astrophysics and physical cosmology at Harvard University, the University of Texas and Columbia University, Mr. deGrasse Tyson has authored several astronomy books and hosted diverse radio and TV shows aimed at popularizing the topic for the laymen. His ardent efforts to translate the many wonders of the universe for the large public’s understanding have resulted in works such as “Merlin’s Tour of the Universe” (1998) and “Astrophysics for People in a Hurry” (2017), bringing him the Stephen Hawking Medal for Science Communication in 2017.

To wish a happy birthday to one of the most active contemporary advocates for public awareness of science, we have created the Neil deGrasse Tyson Timeline, which highlights some of his most notable achievements.

Discovering his passion for astronomy at the early age of nine, after he visited the Hayden Planetarium, Tyson avidly pursued this interest in his teen years, gaining attention in the local community for giving lectures on the subject while he was only 15. Tyson’s scientific enthusiasm also led to famous astronomer Carl Sagan trying to recruit him to Cornell for undergraduate studies. However, the scientist’s wide scope of research has caused some heated debates as well, as it was the case with his work regarding the reclassification of Pluto as a dwarf planet. As he stated in a series of interviews, this attracted large amounts of hate mail, much of it from children.

The Neil deGrasse Tyson chronology was created with Office Timeline, an intuitive PowerPoint plugin that allows users to build stylish timelines, Gantt charts and other similar visuals with ease. The slide is free to copy and share, and if you want to edit it or create a new one, we recommend using the Plus version of the tool.

Download the Neil deGrasse Tyson Timeline for PowerPoint here.