Rise to Success: Career Highlights of Neil deGrasse Tyson

Discover the career path of Neil deGrasse Tyson, from the first major opportunity to industry-changing achievements.

Neil deGrasse Tyson is a prominent American astrophysicist, author, and science communicator. He received his education from Harvard, the University of Texas at Austin, and Columbia University, followed by a postdoctoral position at Princeton. In 1994, he joined the Hayden Planetarium, becoming its director in 1996. Tyson spearheaded the planetarium's $210 million renovation completed in 2000. Since 1996, he has remained director of the Hayden Planetarium at the Rose Center for Earth and Space in New York City. Furthermore, he established the Department of Astrophysics at the American Museum of Natural History in 1997, where he has been a research associate since 2003.

Sections (4)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Controversies & Scandals

1975: Meeting with Carl Sagan

In 1975, Carl Sagan invited the 17-year-old Neil deGrasse Tyson to spend a day in Ithaca, an experience that profoundly influenced Tyson's aspirations to become a scientist and the kind of person he wanted to be.

1980: Bachelor of Arts Degree from Harvard College

In 1980, Neil deGrasse Tyson earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in physics at Harvard College.

1983: Master of Arts Degree in Astronomy

In 1983, Neil deGrasse Tyson received a Master of Arts degree in astronomy from the University of Texas at Austin.

1986: Lecturer at University of Maryland

From 1986, Neil deGrasse Tyson was a lecturer in astronomy at the University of Maryland.

1987: End of Lectureship at University of Maryland

In 1987, Neil deGrasse Tyson's time as a lecturer in astronomy at the University of Maryland concluded.

1988: Astronomy Graduate Program at Columbia University

In 1988, Neil deGrasse Tyson was accepted into the astronomy graduate program at Columbia University.

1989: Master of Philosophy Degree in Astrophysics

In 1989, Neil deGrasse Tyson earned a Master of Philosophy degree in astrophysics at Columbia University.

1991: Postdoctoral Research at Princeton University

In 1991, Neil deGrasse Tyson became a postdoctoral research associate at Princeton University, marking a significant step in his early career.

1991: PhD Degree in Astrophysics

In 1991, Neil deGrasse Tyson earned a PhD degree in astrophysics at Columbia University under the supervision of Professor R. Michael Rich.

1994: Joining Hayden Planetarium and Princeton Faculty

In 1994, Neil deGrasse Tyson joined the Hayden Planetarium as a staff scientist and also became a visiting research scientist and lecturer at Princeton University.

1994: Joining Hayden Planetarium

In 1994, Neil deGrasse Tyson joined the Hayden Planetarium as a staff scientist, while also being a research affiliate at Princeton University.

June 1995: Acting Director of the Planetarium

In June 1995, Neil deGrasse Tyson became the acting director of the Hayden Planetarium.

1995: "Universe" Column for Natural History Magazine

From 1995, Neil deGrasse Tyson began writing monthly essays for the "Universe" column in Natural History magazine.

1996: Director of Hayden Planetarium

In 1996, Neil deGrasse Tyson became the director of the Hayden Planetarium and began overseeing a $210 million reconstruction project.

1996: Coining the Term "Manhattanhenge"

In 1996, Neil deGrasse Tyson coined the term "Manhattanhenge", inspired by the Stonehenge monument, to describe the phenomenon of the sun aligning with Manhattan's street grid.

1996: Appointment as Director of Hayden Planetarium

In 1996, Neil deGrasse Tyson was officially appointed as the director of the Hayden Planetarium.

1997: Founding the Department of Astrophysics

In 1997, Neil deGrasse Tyson founded the Department of Astrophysics at the American Museum of Natural History.

1998: Publication of "Merlin's Tour of the Universe" and "Just Visiting This Planet"

In 1998, Neil deGrasse Tyson published "Merlin's Tour of the Universe" and "Just Visiting This Planet", both containing material from his StarDate magazine column.

2000: Completion of Planetarium Reconstruction Project

In 2000, Neil deGrasse Tyson completed the $210 million reconstruction project of the Hayden Planetarium, which he oversaw as director.

2001: Service on Government Commission

In 2001, Neil deGrasse Tyson served on a government commission on the future of the U.S. aerospace industry.

2001: Appointment to Commission on the Future of the United States Aerospace Industry

In 2001, Neil deGrasse Tyson was appointed by U.S. President George W. Bush to serve on the Commission on the Future of the United States Aerospace Industry.

2002: Popularizing "Manhattanhenge"

In 2002, Neil deGrasse Tyson popularized the term "Manhattanhenge" in a column for Natural History magazine, describing the phenomenon where the setting sun aligns with Manhattan's street grid.

2003: Research Associate in the Department of Astrophysics

Since 2003, Neil deGrasse Tyson has been a research associate in the Department of Astrophysics at the American Museum of Natural History.

2004: Hosting Origins Miniseries

In 2004, Neil deGrasse Tyson hosted the four-part Origins miniseries of the PBS Nova series and co-authored the companion volume, Origins: Fourteen Billion Years Of Cosmic Evolution, with Donald Goldsmith.

2004: Moon, Mars and Beyond Commission and NASA Medal

In 2004, Neil deGrasse Tyson served on the Moon, Mars and Beyond commission and was awarded the NASA Distinguished Public Service Medal.

2004: Service on Space Exploration Policy Commission and NASA Medal

In 2004, Neil deGrasse Tyson served on the President's Commission on Implementation of United States Space Exploration Policy (the Moon, Mars, and Beyond commission) and was awarded the NASA Distinguished Public Service Medal.

2005: End of "Universe" Column

In 2005, Neil deGrasse Tyson ended his monthly essays for the "Universe" column in Natural History magazine.

2005: Addresses diversity in science

In 2005, Neil deGrasse Tyson participated in a panel discussion where he spoke about the importance of equal opportunity in sciences, referencing the barriers faced by Black people and women.

November 2006: Speaker at Beyond Belief Symposium

In November 2006, Neil deGrasse Tyson attended and was a speaker at the Beyond Belief: Science, Religion, Reason and Survival symposium.

2006: Hosting NOVA ScienceNow

From 2006, Neil deGrasse Tyson hosted the television show NOVA ScienceNow on PBS.

2006: Views on Science, Spirituality

In 2006, Neil deGrasse Tyson extensively wrote and broadcast about his views on science, spirituality, and the spirituality of science, including the essays "The Perimeter of Ignorance" and "Holy Wars" in Natural History magazine and at the Beyond Belief workshop. He also defined spirituality in an interview with Paul Mecurio.

2007: Participates in Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!

In 2007, Neil deGrasse Tyson participated in the NPR radio quiz program Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!

2007: Publication of "Death by Black Hole"

In 2007, Neil deGrasse Tyson published "Death by Black Hole", a book comprising some of his essays.

2007: Keynote Speaker at Dedication Ceremony

In 2007, Neil deGrasse Tyson was the keynote speaker at the dedication ceremony of Deerfield Academy's new science center, the Koch Center. He emphasized the impact of science and the value of investing in science.

April 2009: Premiere of 400 Years of the Telescope

In April 2009, the documentary 400 Years of the Telescope, narrated by Neil deGrasse Tyson in collaboration with Donald Goldsmith, premiered on PBS.

May 2009: Launch of StarTalk Radio Show

In May 2009, Neil deGrasse Tyson launched a one-hour radio talk show called StarTalk, co-hosted with comedian Lynne Koplitz.

2009: Hosting StarTalk Podcast

Since 2009, Neil deGrasse Tyson has hosted the weekly podcast StarTalk.

March 2010: Advocates for NASA Funding

In a March 2010 address, Neil deGrasse Tyson advocated for expanding NASA's operations, arguing that the agency is underfunded and that the public overestimates how much tax revenue is allocated to it, stating it is only half a penny on the dollar.

December 2010: Resurrection of StarTalk Radio Show

In December 2010, Neil deGrasse Tyson resurrected the StarTalk radio show, co-hosted with comedians Chuck Nice and Leighann Lord.

April 2011: Keynote Speaker at Phi Theta Kappa Convention

In April 2011, Neil deGrasse Tyson was the keynote speaker at the 93rd International Convention of the Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society of the Two-year School, where he and James Randi delivered a lecture entitled Skepticism.

May 2011: Donates Speaking Income

In May 2011, on StarTalk Radio, Neil deGrasse Tyson mentioned he donates all income earned as a guest speaker. He also frequently participates in Reddit AMAs, with three of his being among the most popular.

2011: End of Hosting NOVA ScienceNow

In 2011, Neil deGrasse Tyson ended his role as host of the television show NOVA ScienceNow on PBS.

March 2012: Testifies Before Senate Committee

In March 2012, Neil deGrasse Tyson testified before the United States Senate Science Committee.

November 7, 2012: Action Comics #14 Publication

Action Comics #14, in which Neil deGrasse Tyson appears and determines the location of Superman's home planet Krypton, was published on November 7, 2012.

2012: Announcement of StarTalk YouTube Series

In 2012, Neil deGrasse Tyson announced that he would appear in a YouTube series based on his radio show StarTalk.

January 2013: Publication of Action Comics #14

In January 2013, Action Comics #14 featured Neil deGrasse Tyson, where he identified the star system of Superman's home planet, Krypton, as orbiting the red dwarf LHS 2520 in the constellation Corvus.

May 2013: Science Laureates Act Introduced

In May 2013, the Science Laureates of the United States Act of 2013 was introduced into Congress, with Neil deGrasse Tyson mentioned as a possible nominee for the position of Science Laureate.

February 28, 2014: Celebrity Guest at White House Student Film Festival

On February 28, 2014, Neil deGrasse Tyson was a celebrity guest at the White House Student Film Festival.

March 8, 2014: SXSW Interactive Keynote Presentation

On March 8, 2014, Neil deGrasse Tyson delivered a SXSW Interactive keynote presentation at the Austin Convention Center.

June 3, 2014: Co-Reviews Gravity on CinemaSins

On June 3, 2014, Neil deGrasse Tyson co-reviewed the movie Gravity in a CinemaSins episode.

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2014: Revival of Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey

In 2014, Neil deGrasse Tyson helped revive Carl Sagan's Cosmos: A Personal Voyage television series, presenting Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey on FOX and the National Geographic Channel.

2014: Speaks on Race and Science

In 2014, during an interview with Grantland, Neil deGrasse Tyson discussed his experience on a 2005 panel and emphasized the need to dismantle social barriers before addressing genetic differences in science. He expressed a desire to avoid making race a central point in his career to prevent distraction from astrophysics.

April 20, 2015: Hosting StarTalk on National Geographic Channel

On April 20, 2015, Neil deGrasse Tyson began hosting a late-night talk show entitled StarTalk on the National Geographic Channel, where he interviews pop culture celebrities and asks them about their life experiences with science.

September 29, 2015: Co-Reviews Interstellar on CinemaSins

On September 29, 2015, Neil deGrasse Tyson co-reviewed the film Interstellar on an episode of CinemaSins.

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2015: Participates in Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!

In 2015, Neil deGrasse Tyson participated in the NPR radio quiz program Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!

2015: StarTalk on National Geographic

In 2015, Neil deGrasse Tyson's spin-off show, StarTalk, began airing on National Geographic.

March 31, 2016: Co-Reviews The Martian on CinemaSins

On March 31, 2016, Neil deGrasse Tyson co-reviewed the film The Martian on CinemaSins.

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2016: Development of Space Odyssey Video Game

Around 2016, Neil deGrasse Tyson was co-developing a sandbox video game with Whatnot Entertainment, Neil deGrasse Tyson Presents: Space Odyssey, which aimed to help provide players with a realistic simulation of developing a space-faring culture.

2016: Minor Appearance in Batman v Superman

In 2016, Neil deGrasse Tyson made a minor appearance as himself in the film Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.

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2016: Narrates Food Evolution

In 2016, Neil deGrasse Tyson narrated and was a script supervisor for the science documentary Food Evolution. In the same year, Tyson made a guest appearance on the Avenged Sevenfold album The Stage on the track "Exist".

2017: Appears on Logic and Musiq Soulchild Albums

In 2017, Neil deGrasse Tyson appeared on Logic's album Everybody as God, uncredited on various tracks, and credited on the song "AfricAryaN", as well as on "The Moon" on Musiq Soulchild's album Feel the Real.

2017: Publication of "Astrophysics for People in a Hurry"

In 2017, Neil deGrasse Tyson published "Astrophysics for People in a Hurry", a book comprising some of his essays.

2018: Guest Appearances on TV Shows

In 2018, Neil deGrasse Tyson made a second guest appearance on The Big Bang Theory, alongside Bill Nye, and had guest appearances in Gravity Falls, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Zoolander 2, Ice Age: Collision Course, Family Guy, BoJack Horseman, The Simpsons, Salvation and Scooby-Doo and Guess Who?.

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