German architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe was born on this day, March 27th, in 1886. As a member of the Bauhaus design school, Mies (as he was called) was highly influential in shifting modern architecture away from the ornate to the simple, a design philosophy from which he popularized the phrase “Less is More.” Mies is honored by today’s Google Doodle, which depicts the SR Crown Hall in Chicago, one of his glass-and-steel designs. Happy Birthday, Mies!