Bill Nye the Science Guy just added another achievement to his list: he’s now a Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient, courtesy of President Joe Biden. Yes, the man who made science fun (and explosions educational) has officially been recognized as a national treasure.
On Saturday, Biden handed out medals to 19 big names across politics, sports, entertainment, and civil rights, calling them “great leaders who make the world a better place.” Among them was William Sanford Nye—better known as Bill Nye—who earned his shiny medal for turning science into a hit TV show and then continuing to nerd out for the good of humanity.
The White House summed it up nicely: “Bill Nye inspired generations as ‘The Science Guy,’ and now he’s CEO of the Planetary Society, a champion of space exploration and saving the planet. Basically, he’s still making science cool.”
The Presidential Medal of Freedom is kind of a big deal—it’s the highest civilian honor in the U.S., given to people who’ve made a huge impact on the country or the world. Past winners include MLK Jr., Maya Angelou, and Mother Teresa. Now Bill Nye joins their ranks, proving you can achieve greatness and wear a bow tie.
Before becoming everyone’s favorite science teacher, Nye was a Boeing engineer, where he helped design something fancy-sounding for the Boeing 747. Then, he took his talents to comedy, where he created the “Science Guy” character on the sketch show Almost Live. That gig launched him into Bill Nye the Science Guy, the PBS show that ran from 1993 to 1998. With 100 episodes packed with humor and science experiments, it won 19 Emmys—and yes, seven of those went directly to Nye.
But he didn’t stop there. As CEO of the Planetary Society, Nye continues to advocate for space exploration and environmental protection, proving he’s not just about teaching science but using it to save the world.
In short: Bill Nye, the bow-tied hero of your childhood, just leveled up to legend status.
