Wissenswertes

Despite being known for, and frequently quoted with, his famous phrase "billions and billions...", Carl Sagan never actually said this during the entire single-season run of Unser Kosmos (1980). The actual phrase is "billions UPON billions", and the complete quote which includes this often-misquoted phrase is "A galaxy is composed of gas and dust and stars - billions upon billions of stars.".

Suffered from a rare blood disorder that led to cancer and ultimately his death.

Named 1981 Humanist of the Year by the American Humanist Association "in recognition of his work as an educator, skeptic, activist, and populizer of science".

Five children: Dorion Sagan and Jeremy Sagan from his first marriage, Nick Sagan from his second marriage, and Sasha Sagan and Sam Sagan from his third marriage.

Received his bachelor's degree (1955) and his master's degree (1956), both in physics, from the University of Chicago.

He was elected into the 2009 New Jersey Hall of Fame for his services in the Enterprise category.

Attended and graduated from Bahway High School from Bahway, New Jersey (1951).

He was the visual inspiration for Earl Meagan, a character from the V comics, based on the television series V: Die außerirdischen Besucher kommen zurück (1984).

Grand-Cross of the Ancient, Most Noble and Enlightened Military Order of Saint James of the Sword, of the Scientific, Literary and Artistic Merit of Portugal (23 November 1998).

Biography in: "American National Biography". Supplement 1, pp. 537-540. New York: Oxford University Press (2002).

Received his Ph.D degree (Doctor of Philosophy) in astronomy and astrophysics from the University of Chicago (1960).

Following his death, he was interred at Lakeview Cemetery in Ithaca, Tompkins County, New York.

He has an Erdös-Bacon-Sabbath number of 9, which is among the lowest on the planet.