Sunday, June 5, 2005

 

Spotlight: Thomas Chippendale was born on this date in 1718. The British cabinetmaker was renowned for his wide variety of chairs, but he also crafted desks, mirror frames, hanging bookshelves, bookcases, settees, china cabinets, and tables, and was inspired by Chinese, Gothic, and contemporaneous French rococo styles.

Quote: "A chair is a very difficult object. A skyscraper is almost easier. That is why Chippendale is famous." – Ludwig Mies van der Rohe

Word of the day: chinoiserie: artistically elaborate style of decoration, with Chinese influence; Chippendale fashioned furniture with chinoiserie decoration. (© )

Today's News:

• laughter: can help you burn calories (story)
• George Steinbrenner: Yankees owner showing impatience with his team (story)
• Ashkenazi Jews: genetic diseases may be linked to high intelligence (story)

Today's History:

• Six-Day War: began; Israel victorious against Egypt, Syria and Jordan (1967)
• Robert Kennedy: shot; he died the next day (1968)
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: US agency reported a pneumonia-like illness among homosexuals — the disease later known as AIDS (1981)

Today's Birthdays:

• economists: Adam Smith (1723-1790), John Maynard Keynes (1883-1946)
• Richard Scarry: children's author/illustrator (1919-1994)
• Bill Moyers: TV journalist (71)