Don Herbert

Birthday: Jul 10, 1917

Bio: Don Herbert was more popularly known as Mr. Wizard, beloved TV personality and science teacher to millions. On his show, Mr. Wizard's World, Herbert taught viewers about science and technology with clever demonstrations and instructions for trying his wondrous experiments at home. Herbert's love of science began early on, as he majored in general science at the… More Bio: Don Herbert was more popularly known as Mr. Wizard, beloved TV personality and science teacher to millions. On his show, Mr. Wizard's World, Herbert taught viewers about science and technology with clever demonstrations and instructions for trying his wondrous experiments at home. Herbert's love of science began early on, as he majored in general science at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse; however, he was also interested in acting. Though he would eventually combine his two interests and create a lifelong career that utilized them both, Herbert's immediate plans were cut short when WWII erupted and the young man enlisted in the Army and later the Air Force, where he became a B-24 Bomber pilot. He was discharged in 1945 after achieving the rank of captain and being awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Air Medal.After the war, Herbert worked in radio until he pitched an idea for a TV show to Chicago's NBC station and they accepted it. Premiering in 1951, Watch Mr. Wizard broadcast live and found the host performing experiments for young viewers, with the help of a young assistant. The popular show lasted for 547 episodes, after which Herbert continued to act on his abiding love of teaching kids about the wonders of the world around them, producing educational films for schools, and opening a science and learning center in Boston. In 1983, Herbert developed Mr. Wizard's World, an updated version of his original show with a faster pace that aired on the kids' network Nickelodeon. The show was another huge hit, and it ran until 1990, turning on a whole new generation to the magic of science and technology. Herbert received many awards over the course of his career, including the Peabody award, the Thomas Alva Edison National Mass Media Award, and Robert A. Millikan award from the American Association of Physics Teachers. Herbert died in 2007 of bone cancer at the age of 89. ~ Cammila Collar, Rovi