Bill Nye'sAmerican humorist Edgar Wilson "Bill" Nye was born on August 25, 1850, in Shirley, Maine. In 1852, his parents relocated to a farm on the St. Croix River in northern Wisconsin, and he received his education there before attending law school in River alls, Wisconsin. He moved to Wyoming Territory, where in 1876 he was admitted to the bar in Laramie City. He held positions as postmaster, superintendent of schools, member of the city council, and judge of the peace there. Early on, he began to contribute cartoon characters to newspapers under the pen name "Bill Nye," which was taken from a character in Bret Harte's well-known poem "The Heathen Chinee." He worked for a number of western magazines before relocating to New York City. Luther Burbank and James Whitcomb Riley were among his buddies. He was laid to rest at the Calvary Episcopal Churchyard in Fletcher, Henderson County, North Carolina after passing away in Arpen, North Carolina, from meningitis. He is commemorated by a historical marker in Wisconsin's St. Croix County. In Shirley, Maine, a small memorial commemorates his birthplace. Read More Read Less