10 outstanding personalities who could have changed the world, but died on the Titanic
The largest maritime disaster of the early 20th century claimed the lives of 1,490 people, among whom there were many people who could influence the course of history. Why were they on the ill-fated steamer? It's simple — the flight, which was made by the largest, most comfortable, fastest and most... safe liner, attracted many of the most famous and extraordinary personalities of the planet.
The Titanic, considered the crown of technical thought, took on its unlucky side the color of business, science and art. Few people could afford to buy a ticket for a giant steamer, so it turned out that people who were well-off and established in their field went on a voyage. Industrialists, engineers, writers, diplomats, athletes, artists and scientists — the best representatives of American and European society were accommodated in the cabins of the steamer. Many of these people were prevented from taking a place in the lifeboat by pride and a sense of responsibility.
Today, the Guggenheims are known as patrons of the arts, patrons of the arts and founders of the world-famous museum in New York. But in order to be able to invest money in the beautiful, this family had to earn it first. The Guggenheims built their capital on the mining industry, or rather, on copper mines. Benjamin, one of the most prominent representatives of his family, became a millionaire by producing pumping equipment.
The tycoon planned to return to the United States on another steamer, but fate was pleased to order it that way. When the ship began to sink, Benjamin Guggenheim and the valet accompanying him did not seek safety on the upper decks, among the boats and panicked crowds. They slowly put on their best tailcoats and stayed in their luxurious cabin, preferring to die like true gentlemen.
A family clan of entrepreneurs named Astor made his multimillion-dollar fortune on the extraction and sale of furs, and multiplied it with real estate operations. John Astor IV was considered the richest man of his time with a fortune of $ 58 billion. He was a multi-faceted personality and, in addition to business, was engaged in science. Astor worked on the creation of efficient, compact and reliable air turbines. In addition, the entrepreneur wrote fantastic novels and patronized young talents.
British metallurgist and scientist Gurney Forbes Julian was also known as a passionate explorer of the Black Continent. Working in the mines in the colonies, this extraordinary man found time to write scientific papers on mining technology and metallurgy, issued patents for inventions and traveled to many mysterious corners of Central and South Africa. Another passion of Henry Forbes Julian was archeology, or rather, the artifacts of ancient Mexico.
A brilliant British journalist who created such a relevant direction today as investigative journalism. Using a dangerous staging, which later cost him his freedom, Stead managed to draw public attention to the problem of child prostitution. His investigation gave impetus to the change of the age of majority in Britain from 13 to 16 years. In 1912, William Stead was nominated for the Nobel Prize.
The author of action-packed detectives, Jacques Fatrell, has written more than 40 short stories and novels about the detective August van Duzen. Jacques was compared to Conan Doyle, and his hero competed in popularity with Sherlock Holmes himself. In 1912, one of the most famous writers in the United States went with his wife to Europe to meet with publishers. Inspired by several successful contracts, Fatrell decided not to be petty and bought tickets for the most luxurious ocean liner to return as befits a triumphant.
Francis Millet was one of the best journalists of his time. His work as a reporter and then editor at the Boston Courier newspaper brought American journalism to a new qualitative level. In addition, Millet was a talented painter. During the author's lifetime, his paintings were exhibited at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and at the Tate Gallery in London.
Wonderful hockey player Quigg Edmund Baxter played for the Montreal Shamrocks club. Coaches and fans doted on the young athlete and believed that at the age of 24, the young goalkeeper has everything ahead of him. But it was fate that Baxter bought a ticket for the Titanic. Together with the athlete, his fiancee, sister and mother went swimming. The hockey player put the women in a boat, and he remained forever on board the ill-fated steamer.
The wealthy New York Strauss family is known for its impressive donations to the needs of art. Isidor Strauss himself started his business from scratch and became not only a rich, but also a very influential American. He was elected to The congress, where the industrialist managed to implement the idea of a society for mutual assistance of employees. This kind of trade union helped tens of thousands of low-income workers, mostly emigrants, to survive.
The son of the founder of the company Mutoscope and Biograph, Daniel Marvin, was only 18 years old, but already at this age the young man managed to establish himself as a talented engineer. Together with his father, the guy participated in the creation of a film camera, which became an alternative to the device proposed by Edison. Daniel was returning from Europe to the United States with his pregnant wife, who escaped. The Marvins company still exists today — it is called Biograph.
Military assistant to President William Taft and adviser to President Theodore Roosevelt, Major Archibald Butt was a talented diplomat and a reliable keeper of the secrets of the American government. This man, faithful to his duty and his country, left behind diaries that allowed descendants to understand the peculiarities of the policies of the two US presidents and accurately described their characters.
Keywords: Atlantic ocean | Victims | Fame | Disaster | Personalities | Titanic