<P> Though American inventor Benjamin Franklin is sometimes credited with inventing the rocking chair, historians actually trace the rocking chair's origins to North America during the early 18th century, when Franklin was a child . Originally used in gardens, they were simply ordinary chairs with rockers attached . It was in 1725 that early rocking chairs first appeared in England . The production of wicker rocking chairs reached its peak in America during the middle of the 18th century . These wicker rockers, as they were popularly known, were famous for their craftsmanship and creative designs . </P> <P> Michael Thonet, a German craftsman, created the first bentwood rocking chair in 1860 . This design is distinguished by its graceful shape and its light weight . These rocking chairs were influenced by Greek and Roman designs as well as Renaissance and colonial era artistry . </P> <P> During the 1920s, however, folding rocking chairs became more popular in the United States and in Europe . They were handy for outdoor activities and travel purposes . By the 1950s, rocking chairs built by Sam Maloof, an American craftsman, became famous for their durability and deluxe appearance . Maloof's rocking chairs are distinguished by their ski - shaped rockers . </P> <P> President John F. Kennedy made the P & P Chair Company's rocking chair famous . In 1955, Kennedy, who suffered with chronic back problems, was prescribed swimming and the use of a rocking chair by his physician . The President so enjoyed the rocker that, after he was inaugurated in 1961, he took the chair on Air Force One when he traveled around the country and the world . He bought additional rockers for Camp David and for the Kennedy estates; and he gave them as gifts to friends, family, and heads of state . Kennedy's rocking chair from the White House is on permanent display at the John F. Kennedy Library and Museum . </P>

What is the purpose of a rocking chair