William Procter

popular name: James Mayer de Rothschild

date_of_death: November 17, 1868

age: 76

cause_of_death: Natural causes

claim_to_fame: Business and Finance

best_know_for: Baron James Mayer de Rothschild (1792–1868) was a prominent 19th-century banker and a key figure in the Rothschild banking family. Born in Frankfurt, Germany, he was the second son of Mayer Amschel Rothschild, the patriarch who established the family's banking empire. James moved to Paris in the early 1800s, where he and his sons started as luxury item dealers and coin and commercial paper traders. James played a critical role in the development of the Rothschild banking network, particularly in France, and became one of the wealthiest men of his time. James was instrumental in financing the construction of major infrastructure projects, such as railways, and was also involved in international finance, including lending to European governments. Throughout his life, he was a key player in European politics, often working behind the scenes to support governments with financial backing, particularly during the revolutions of 1848 and the Crimean War. Baron James Rothschild’s success and wealth solidified the Rothschild family as one of the most influential banking dynasties in Europe during the 19th century. He passed away in 1868, and his legacy continued through his descendants, who continued to manage and expand the family's financial empire. It is estimated that the total collective wealth of all the Rothschild families combined exceed $1.0 trillion dollars. Upon his death, he was laid to rest at Cimetière du Père-Lachaise in Paris, France.

popular name: Harold Stirling Vanderbilt

date_of_death: July 4, 1970

age: 85

cause_of_death:

claim_to_fame: Business and Finance

best_know_for: Harold Stirling Vanderbilt was an American railroad executive, a champion yachtsman, an innovator and champion player of contract bridge, and a member of the Vanderbilt family. Vanderbilt was a director of the New York Central Railroad from 1913 and was a driving force behind the rail network until he was defeated for the control of the company in 1954. He was also known as a card game enthusiast. In 1925, while on board SS Finland, he originated changes to the scoring system through which the game of contract bridge supplanted auction bridge in popularity. He also served as commodore of the New York Yacht Club from 1922 to 1924, and won six "King's Cups" and five Astor Cups at regattas between 1922 and 1938. Mr. Vanderbilt, who stood 6 feet tall, was a commanding figure whether at the helm of a Cup defender or on the tennis court, where he was also an excellent performer. Unlike many of the local wealthy families, he showed little interest in the social events of Newport.

popular name: Samuel Colt

date_of_death: January 10, 1862

age: 47

cause_of_death: Complications of gout

claim_to_fame: Business and Finance

best_know_for: Samuel Colt was an inventor, industrialist, and businessman who established Colt's Patent Fire-Arms Manufacturing Company (now Colt's Manufacturing Company) in Hartford, Connecticut and made the mass production of revolvers commercially viable. Colt's first two business ventures were producing firearms in Paterson, New Jersey, and making underwater mines; both ended in disappointment. His business affairs improved rapidly after 1847, when the Texas Rangers ordered 1,000 revolvers during the American war with Mexico. Later, his firearms were used widely during the settling of the western frontier. Colt's success came from his sophisticated manufacturing methods such as the use of interchangeable parts which helped him become one of the first to use the assembly line efficiently. Moreover, his innovative use of art, celebrity endorsements, and corporate gifts to promote his wares made him a pioneer of advertising, product placement, and mass marketing. Colt died in 1862 as one of the wealthiest men in America worth in excess of $440 million in today's money.