Ginny Ruffner

Ginny Ruffner, American artist

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Born: June 21, 1952
Age in 2026: 74
Zodiac sign: Cancer
Birth year: 1952

About Ginny Ruffner

Ginny Carol Ruffner (née Martin; June 21, 1952 – January 20, 2025) was an American glass artist based in Seattle, Washington. She is known for her use of the lampworking (or flameworking) technique and for her use of borosilicate glass in her painted glass sculptures. Many of her ideas begin with drawings. Her works also include pop-up books, large-scale public art, and augmented reality. Ruffner was named a Master of the Medium by the James Renwick Alliance in 2007. Ruffner was elected as a Fellow of the American Craft Council in 2010. She received The Glass Art Society's Lifetime Award in 2019. == Early life == Ruffner was born on June 21, 1952, in Atlanta, Georgia. Her father was an FBI agent, and her mother was a typing teacher. == Career == Ruffner studied at Furman University in Greenville, South Carolina, and Winthrop College in Rock Hill, South Carolina, before transferring to the University of Georgia.

Biography source: Wikipedia. The profile adds birthday-specific historical context from the Celebs Birthday Today editorial database.

Career and life highlights

Following graduation, one of Ruffner's first jobs was working for Hans Godo Frabel as an apprentice lamp worker, creating glass animals.
In 1984, Ruffner relocated to Seattle, Washington, where she taught the first flameworking class at Pilchuck Glass School.
Ruffner was the first woman in the United States to create sculptures with borosilicate glass, which is commonly used in the manufacture of scientific glassware.
Through Ruffner's work, lampworking was first recognized as a medium for fine art.

The world when Ginny Ruffner was born

Ginny Ruffner was born in 1952. The year snapshot below places that birthday in its cultural and historical setting: the music and films people were following, the headlines shaping public life, and the everyday prices families encountered.

Culture in 1952

#1 song"You Belong to Me" – Jo Stafford
Top movieThe Greatest Show on Earth
Top TV showI Love Lucy
Best-selling bookThe Old Man and the Sea – Ernest Hemingway

Headlines and milestones

Major sports momentRocky Marciano becomes heavyweight champion
Top headlineDwight Eisenhower elected president
Technology milestoneFirst hydrogen bomb tested
Defining fadMr. Potato Head
Notable inventionMr. Potato Head (first toy advertised on TV)
World population2.63 billion

United States snapshot

U.S. leaderHarry S. Truman
Sports championNew York Yankees (World Series)
Also wonMinneapolis Lakers (NBA)
U.S. population156.4M

1952 versus 2026

These figures put everyday life in Ginny Ruffner's birth year beside the site's latest United States snapshot.

Measure	1952	2026
Gas	$0.27	$3.45/gal
Average home	$9,100	$435,000
Average income	$5,700	$67,500
Minimum wage	$0.75	$7.25/hr (federal)
Movie ticket	$0.60	$11.95
Postage stamp	$0.03	$0.73
Population	156.4M	341 million

Sources and editorial standards

This profile combines a biographical source with structured birthday and historical context. Sources recorded for this profile: Wikipedia, Library of Congress. See our editorial policy for sourcing, corrections, and review standards.

Read the source biography on Wikipedia. Wikipedia text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.