Ruth Benedict was an influential American anthropologist born on June 5, 1887. She is best known for her work in cultural anthropology, particularly her studies on the relationship between culture and personality. Her notable publications include Patterns of Culture, where she explored how different societies develop unique cultural traits. Benedict was a key figure in the Boasian school of anthropology, which emphasized the importance of cultural context in understanding human behavior. She also contributed to the field through her research on Native American cultures and her involvement in the development of cultural relativism, advocating for the understanding of cultures on their own terms.