Profile of the Day: Bill Nye

Posted November 27, 2018 by Amanda | No Comment

Bill Nye

Today we celebrate the 63rd birthday of Bill Nye! A mechanical engineer and science educator, Nye is widely known for his popular children’s science show, Bill Nye the Science Guy.

Nye was born William Sanford Nye on November 27, 1955 in Washington, D.C. to Ned Nye and Jaqueline Jenkins. During World War II, his mother was recruited by the Navy to work as a codebreaker to help crack codes used by the Japanese and German military. His father, Edwin “Ned” Nye, worked as a contractor building an airstrip on Wake Island. When the Japanese took occupation of the island, his father was held as a prisoner until the end of the war.

After earning his degree in mechanical engineering, Nye went on to work for Boeing. During this time, he also began performing stand-up. In 1993, Nye developed Bill Nye the Science Guy, a science education program geared towards children. The show ran on PBS for five years and became one of the most watched educational shows in the United States.

In addition to his successes on television, Nye works as an advocate for science and also continues pursuing scientific work. Did you know Nye helped develop sundials that were used for the Mars Exploration Rover missions?

Explore Bill Nye’s family tree on Geni and share how you’re related!