August 20

August 20 is the birthdate of Finnish architect Eero Saarinen. His works include the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, the TWA Flight Center at John F. Kennedy International Airport, and the main terminal of Dulles International Airport, Washington, D.C. His firm began designing the TWA terminal in 1956 with the directive to capture "the spirit of flight." The structure featured a wing-shaped roof, tube-shaped departure-arrival corridors wrapped in red carpet, and huge windows to view jets. It was the first with enclosed passenger jetways, closed circuit television, a central public address system, baggage carousels, electronic schedule board and baggage scales, and satellite-clustering of gates away from the main terminal. It was dedicated in 1962, a year after Saarinen's death.