Clyde Tombaugh was born on 4 February 1906 in Streator, Illinois, USA. He was previously married to Patricia Edson. He died on 17 January 1997 in Las Cruces, New Mexico, USA.
Discovered the planet Pluto on Feb. 18, 1930; the official public
announcement was made March 13, 1930. Dr. Tombaugh was the first
American astronomer to discover a planet. Dr. Tombaugh likened his
discovery of Pluto, named after the Roman god of the underworld due to
the fact it dwells in almost perpetual darkness, to finding a needle in
a haystack.
