Though many people don't know too much about the man himself, Rube Goldberg (b. 1883 - d. 1970) is famous for his comic work which included Mike and Ike (They Look Alike) and his quirky machines that are designed to turn ordinary tasks into tedious adventures. It's those machines that have made their way into our language in the form of "Rube Goldberg Devices."
Another thing that people may not know about Rube Goldberg is that the highest honor in the comic industry is named after him. The Reuben Award, given out by the National Cartoonists Society, has been around since 1946 and is still given out annually. Rube Goldberg was the president of the NCS at the time and, actually, did not win the award until 1967.
Why talk about Rube Goldberg? There are a ton of different reasons, but perhaps it's the timing. Rube Goldberg was born July 4th, 1883. So happy birthday to the United States of America and Rube Goldberg!
