It's hard not to know who Jerry Seinfeld is. But your age might color the way you define the comedian. Those of us in our mid-40s remember his observational stand-up on The Tonight Show. Some of you probably even remember his sock routine.

Others - in their 30s - are more accustomed to television's version of Jerry Seinfeld, the character the real Seinfeld played on the NBC sit-com that shared his name throughout the 1990s.

Those of you in your 20s probably know Seinfeld from his appearances in Super Bowl commercials, as a guest star on Curb Your Enthusiasm or 30 Rock, or the guy that played Jerry Seinfeld in all those reruns of Seinfeld that run on cable relentlessly.

Well here's the skinny on the comic, so that the next time you see him, most likely in his successful, award-winning web talk show series Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee, you'll know everything you need to know about him.

The definition of a New York comic
Seinfeld was born in Brooklyn. His father, Kalman, was a sign maker. His mother, Betty, a homemaker. His parents were of Jewish descent.

Seinfeld grew up in Massapequa, New York, and graduated from Massapequa High School. He started off at SUNY Oswego before transferring to Queens College, City University of New York, where he graduated with a degree in communications and theater.

While in school, Seinfeld was bit by the stand-up bug and tried his luck at an open-mic night. The show as at New York's famous Catch a Rising Star.

His luck there eventually led to work with Rodney Dangerfield, who was red hot at the time. Seinfeld landed a number of guest spots and small jobs before getting his break on The Tonight Show. That appearance was so iconic, it literally launched the comedian's career overnight.

Seinfeld became a regular on Tonight and Late Night with David Letterman before stumbling on an idea for a sit-com that would nearly revolutionize the medium.

A show about nothing
Seinfeld's sit-com was cooked up along with fellow comedian and friend Larry David. Seinfeld has often cited Abbot and Costello as inspiration for the series, though it's been noted that the string of Seinfeld episodes documenting character George Costanza and Seinfeld's creation of a sit-com about Seinfeld's life mimicked the actual creation of the program - if exaggerated for television.

The show was different than most anything on the air at the time. Family sit-coms and ensemble pieces dominated the landscape. Seinfeld offered a small group of laissez-faire characters living in New York and working hard to try to avoid working hard. It was different and fresh and audiences loved it.

The show ran for eight seasons, between 1990 and 1998, before cast and crew decided to wind things down. Its finale was one of the most watched finales in TV history - and one of the most maligned. It has won more fans in follow-up viewings.

Post-Seinfeld
After that show's exit in 1998, after eight seasons on the air, everyone wondered what Seinfeld would do next.

For the most part, semi-retirement, a foray into marketing and advertising, marriage and fatherhood, and a series of guest spots on friends' sit-coms - The Larry Sanders Show, Curb Your Enthusiasm and 30 Rock. He returned to network television in 2010 as a producer and guest panelist on the short-lived show, The Marriage Ref.

Now he's back in Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee, which seems far more suited to Seinfeld's ability to draw out conversation in his fellow comedians. And if we were to categorize Seinfeld as a talk show host, he'd be in a league of his own - if only because the way he maneuvers a conversation is more suited to this intimate format than the late night, behind-the-desk style many of his fellow comedians find themselves settling into.

Fast facts

• Married to Jessica Sklar
• The couple have three children - a daughter and two sons
• Seinfeld is a huge fan of Superman and the New York Mets
• Has a large car collection, including more than 45 Porches