Buckminster Fuller

12 July 1895 – 1 July 1983

Richard Buckminster Fuller (1895-1983) was an American architect, systems theorist, designer, and inventor best known for popularizing the geodesic dome. He coined or popularized terms such as 'Spaceship Earth', 'synergetics', and 'ephemeralization', and designed the Dymaxion house and car. A prolific author and lecturer, he championed doing more with less to serve humanity through design.

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Well-documented people whose lives overlapped with Buckminster Fuller.

Life events

Born in Milton, Massachusetts
12 July 1895

Richard Buckminster Fuller was born in Milton, Massachusetts, into a prominent New England family.

Source: en.wikipedia.org
Birth ✓
Expelled from Harvard University
1914

Fuller was twice expelled from Harvard and never earned a traditional degree, instead learning through hands-on experience.

Source: en.wikipedia.org
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Married Anne Hewlett
12 July 1917

Fuller married Anne Hewlett, who remained his lifelong partner.

Source: en.wikipedia.org
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Experienced a turning point after personal crisis
1927

Following business failure and the death of his first daughter, Fuller resolved to devote his life to benefiting humanity through design science.

Source: en.wikipedia.org
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Designed the Dymaxion house and car
1933

Fuller developed his Dymaxion concepts, including a mass-producible house and a three-wheeled streamlined car.

Source: en.wikipedia.org
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Patented the geodesic dome
29 June 1954

Fuller received a patent for the geodesic dome, a lightweight structure that could enclose large spaces efficiently.

Source: en.wikipedia.org
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Joined the faculty of Southern Illinois University
1959

Fuller became a research professor at Southern Illinois University Carbondale, a base for his teaching and writing.

Source: en.wikipedia.org
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Designed the U.S. Pavilion for Expo 67
1967

Fuller's geodesic dome for the Montreal world's fair became one of his most famous structures, the Biosphère.

Source: en.wikipedia.org
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Awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom
23 February 1983

Fuller received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Ronald Reagan for his contributions to design and thought.

Source: en.wikipedia.org
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Died in Los Angeles, California
1 July 1983

Fuller died in Los Angeles at the age of 87, shortly before his wife's own death.

Source: en.wikipedia.org
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