Keith Allen Haring (May 4, 1958 – February 16, 1990) was an American artist and activist. His bold, graphic imagery has "become a widely recognized visual language". Emerging from New York City's downtown art and graffiti scenes in the early 1980s, he transformed subway chalk drawings into an internationally celebrated career that bridged street art and Pop art.
Haring first gained public attention through spontaneous white-chalk drawings on unused black advertising panels in New York City subway stations, featuring crawling babies, barking dogs, dancing figures, and other animated symbols. As his reputation grew, he gained gallery representation and produced large-scale paintings and sculptures. Between 1982 and 1989, he created more than 50 public murals, many of them voluntarily for hospitals, schools, and community spaces.
Much of Haring's work addressed political and social issues, including anti-apartheid activism, the crack epidemic, homosexuality, safe sex, and AIDS awareness, often using his own iconography to communicate urgent messages. In 1986, he opened the Pop Shop to make his art widely accessible through affordable merchandise.
HistoryLayer draws the world as it was in any year from 123,000 BCE to
2026. Move the slider and the borders redraw for that year; the map
carries 23,890 events, 12,790 people, 837 wars and 13,183 cities, each
one readable in place. Signing in is optional and lets you keep what
you find.