About Don Herbert
Donald Jeffry Herbert, better known as Mr. Wizard, was an American television host. He was the creator and host of Watch Mr. Wizard and Mr. Wizard's World (1983–1990), which were educational television programs for children devoted to science and technology. He also produced many short video programs about science and authored several popular books about science for children. It was said that no fictional hero was able to rival the popularity and longevity of "the friendly, neighborly scientist". In Herbert's obituary, Bill Nye wrote, "Herbert's techniques and performances helped create the United States' first generation of homegrown rocket scientists just in time to respond to Sputnik. He sent us to the moon. He changed the world." Herbert is credited with turning "a generation of youth" in the 1950s and early 1960s on to "the promise and perils of science". In the Chicago Tribune in 1951, Larry Wolters wrote that Herbert "believes that to educate youngsters in the marvels of science you must first entertain them. The experiments, many of which seemed impossible at first glance, were usually simple enough to be re-created by viewers. And he feels that he can win them over more readily with ordinary household props than with fancy instruments." The show was very successful with 547 live episodes created before it was canceled in 1965.
Biography source: Wikipedia. The profile adds birthday-specific historical context from the Celebs Birthday Today editorial database.