Origins & Early Life

Hans Ruedi Giger ( GHEE-gər; German: [ˈɡiːɡɐ]; 5 February 1940 – 12 May 2014) was a Swiss artist best known for his airbrushed images that blended human physiques with machines, an art style known as "biomechanical". He was part of the special effects team that won an Academy Award for the visual design of Ridley Scott's 1979 sci-fi horror film Alien, and was responsible for creating the xenomorph alien itself. His work is on permanent display at the H. R.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

Giger Museum in Gruyères, Switzerland. His style has been adapted to many forms of media, including album covers, furniture, and music videos. Giger was born in 1940 in Chur, the capital city of Graubünden, the largest and easternmost Swiss canton. His father, a pharmacist, viewed art as a "breadless profession" and strongly encouraged him to enter pharmacy. In 1962 he moved to Zürich, where he studied architecture and industrial design at the School of Applied Arts until 1970.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

Giger's first success occurred when H. H. Kunz, co-owner of Switzerland's first poster publishing company, printed and distributed Giger's first posters, beginning in 1969. Giger's style and thematic execution were influential...

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Abbas Kiarostami — Contemporary (Born in 1940) (1940): Master Iranian filmmaker known for blending fiction and documentary styles.
• Al Pacino — Contemporary (Born in 1940) (1940): Intense American actor celebrated for his powerful stage and screen performances.
• Alan Kay — Contemporary (Born in 1940) (1940): Pioneer of GUI, Object-Oriented Programming, and modern computing paradigms.
• 2014 League of Legends World Championship — Contemporary (Born in 2014) (2014): The 4th League of Legends World Championship, held in Asia in 2014.
• Alain Resnais — Contemporary (Died in 2014) (2014): Pioneering French filmmaker exploring memory, consciousness, and narrative structure.
• Alexander Grothendieck — Contemporary (Died in 2014) (2014): Pioneering figure in modern algebraic geometry and category theory.
• Banjo Paterson — Shared historical date (02-05 · Died) (1941): Iconic Australian bush poet, journalist, and author of 'Waltzing Matilda'
• Barrett Strong — Shared historical date (02-05 · Born) (1941): Pioneering Motown artist and songwriter, famed for 'Money (That's What I Want)'
• Adolfo Pedernera — Shared historical date (05-12 · Died) (1995): Argentine football legend, nicknamed 'El Maestro,' pivotal in the 1940s.
• Amy Lowell — Shared historical date (05-12 · Died) (1925): American poet, key figure in the Imagist school, known for her vibrant verse.
• 1940 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1940
• February 5 (02-05) On This Day — Historical birthdays and events on February 5
• 2014 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 2014
• May 12 (05-12) On This Day — Historical events and memorials on May 12