Born on this day: Rube Goldberg (July 4, 1883 - December 7, 1970) was an American cartoonist, inventor, and engineer famous for his series of popular cartoons depicting highly complicated gadgets to accomplish simple tasks. The phrase "Rube Goldberg Machine" has become a popular term describing such contraptions and is the subject for many international competitions. #rube #goldberg #historical #american #cartoonist #inventor #engineer #bornonthisday