Bill Graham

popular name: Andrew Carnegie

date_of_death: August 11, 1919

age: 83

cause_of_death: Bronchial Pneumonia

claim_to_fame: Business and Finance

best_know_for: Andrew Carnegie was a Scottish-American industrialist and philanthropist who played a pivotal role in the expansion of the American steel industry in the late 19th century. Born on November 25, 1835, in Dunfermline, Scotland, Carnegie emigrated to the United States with his family in 1848, settling in Pennsylvania. Starting as a bobbin boy in a cotton factory, he quickly rose through the ranks of the business world, eventually founding the Carnegie Steel Company, which became the largest and most profitable industrial enterprise of its time. After selling his company to J.P. Morgan in 1901 for $480 million (equivalent to billions today), Carnegie devoted the rest of his life to philanthropy. He believed in the "Gospel of Wealth," the idea that the rich have a moral obligation to use their wealth for the betterment of society. Carnegie donated over $350 million during his lifetime to causes such as libraries, education, and peace initiatives. He died on August 11, 1919, leaving behind a legacy as one of the richest men in history and one of its most generous philanthropists. Upon his death, Andrew Carnegie was laid to rest at the Sleepy Hollow Cemetery in Sleepy Hollow, New York.

popular name: George Huntington Hartford

date_of_death: August 29, 1917

age: 83

cause_of_death: Natural Causes

claim_to_fame: Business and Finance

best_know_for: George Huntington Hartford headed The Great Atlantic and Pacific Tea Company, better known as A&P Super Market from 1878 to 1917. During this period, A&P created the concept of the chain grocery store and expanded into the country's largest retailer. By 1930, A&P operated approximately 16,000 stores and became the first retailer to report combined revenue of US$1 billion. By 1950, of every dollar the U.S. spends on food, about 10¢ is passed over A&P counters—a massive yearly total of $2.9 billion. Next to General Motors, the A&P sold more goods than any other company in the world. Unfortunately the last 25 years of A&P were not kind as they made one bad business decision after another and after 156 years in business, they closed the doors for good in 2015.

popular name: Isidor Straus

date_of_death: April 15, 1912

age: 67

cause_of_death: Drowning at sea (Titanic)

claim_to_fame: Business and Finance

best_know_for: Isidor Straus (1845–1912) was a German-born American businessman, politician, and philanthropist best known as a co-owner of Macy’s department store and for his tragic death aboard the RMS Titanic. Born in Otterberg, Germany, he immigrated with his family to the United States in 1854, settling in Georgia before moving north after the Civil War. Along with his brother Nathan, Isidor built a successful career in retail, becoming a partner in R.H. Macy & Co. in New York City. Beyond business, he served as a U.S. Congressman for New York’s 15th district from 1894 to 1895 and was widely respected for his integrity and charitable work. Isidor married Ida Blun in 1871, and the two shared a famously devoted relationship. The couple perished together on April 15, 1912, when the Titanic sank—refusing to be separated as the ship went down. Their enduring love story became one of the most poignant and enduring legends of the disaster. While Ida's body was never found, Isidor Straus' remains made their way to New York where he was interred (eventually) at the Straus Family mausoleum at historic Woodlawn Cemetery in the Bronx, New York. Ida is represented by an urn of ocean water recovered at the sight of the sinking of the Titanic.