:: wikimiki.org ::

John Jacob Astor

John Jacob Astor

right John Jacob (originally Johann Jakob) Astor (July 17, 1763 - March 29, 1848) made a fortune in fur trading and real estate. He is the founder of what became known as the Astor family. Born in Walldorf, Baden, Germany (currently in the Rhein-Neckar district), his father was a butcher, and he learned English in London while working for his brother, George whose business was manufacturing musical instruments. Astor arrived in the United States in March 1784 just after the end of the Revolutionary War. He started a fur goods shop in New York City in the late 1780s. Astor took advantage of the Jay Treaty between Great Britain and the United States in 1794 which opened new markets in Canada and the Great Lakes region at the expense of the Canadians. By 1800 he had amassed nearly a quarter of a million dollars, and had become one of the leading figures in the fur trade. In 1800, Astor followed the example of the Empress of China, the first American trading vessel to China, and started to trade furs, teas and sandalwood with Canton in China. He used the opportunity, that American merchants did not need a permission to trade in ports monopolized by the British East India Company after the Revolutionary War. He greatly benefited from the fur trade with China. But the Embargo Act from Thomas Jefferson in 1807 disrupted his import/export business. Therefore he established with the permission of President Jefferson the American Fur Company on April 6, 1808, and later formed subsidiaries, the Pacific Fur Company and the Southwest Fur Company (in which Canadians had a part) to control fur trading in the Columbia River and Great Lakes area respectively. His fur trading ventures were disrupted when the British captured his trading posts during the War of 1812. However, his operations rebounded in 1817 after the US Congress passed a protectionist law that barred foreign traders from U.S. Territories. The American Fur Company once again came to dominate trading in the area around the Great Lakes. In 1822, Astor established the Astor House on Mackinac Island as headquarters for the reformed American Fur Company, making the island a metropolis of the fur trade. Astor withdrew from the company in 1834. A lengthy description based on documents, diaries etc. was given by Washington Irving in his travelogue Astoria. As the cost of fur went up due to over trapping, and the demand went down due to changing fashions, Astor turned his sights on New York City real estate. He retired from business in 1834 and spent the rest of his life as a patron of culture. He supported the famous ornithologist John James Audubon, Edgar Allan Poe, and the presidential campaign of Henry Clay. Furthermore he was the founder of the first hotel which belonged to the Astor family, the Astor House. In his last will he gave orders to build the Astor Library for the New York public and to build a poorhouse in his German hometown Walldorf. At the time of his death, Astor was the wealthiest person in the United States, leaving an estate estimated to be worth 20 million dollars or more. He is interred in the Trinity Churchyard Cemetery on the 155th Street in Manhattan, New York. The great bulk of his fortune was bequeathed to his second son, William Backhouse Astor Sr., instead of his eldest son John Jacob Astor II (1791-1869). A part of his money also went to found the Astor Library which was later consolidated with other libraries to form the New York Public Library.

Children

# Magdalen (1788-1832) # Sarah (1790-1791) # John Jacob II (1791-1869) # William Backhouse (1792-1875) # Dorothee (1795-1853) # Henry (1797-1799) # Eliza (1801-1838) # unnamed son (1802)

External links

- [http://manybooks.net/titles/irvingwaetext98stria10.html# Astoria, Author Washington Irving full text (pdf)] Category:German emigrants Astor, John Jacob Astor, John Jacob Astor, John Jacob Astor, John Jacob Astor, John Jacob Astor, John Jacob Astor, John Jacob Astor, John Jacob Category:Natives of Baden-Württemberg

1763

1763 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar).

Events

- February 10 - French and Indian War: The 1763 Treaty of Paris ends the war and France cedes Canada to Great Britain.
- 15 February - the Treaty of Hubertusburg puts an end to the Seven Years' War between Prussia and Austria and their allies
- March 1 - Charles Townshend becomes President of the Board of Trade in the British government
- May 7 - Chief Pontiac begins the "Conspiracy of Pontiac" by attacking British forces at Fort Detroit.
- June 2 - Pontiac's Rebellion: At what is now Mackinaw City, Michigan, Chippewas capture Fort Michilimackinac by diverting the garrison's attention with a game of lacrosse, then chasing a ball into the fort.
- June 28 – earthquake in Komarom, Hungary
- August 5 - Pontiac's War - Battle of Bushy Run - British forces led by Henry Bouquet defeat Chief Pontiac's Indians at Bushy Run in the Pennsylvania backcountry.
- The Treaty of Paris signed by Great Britain, France and Spain brings an end to the Seven Years' War (also called the French and Indian War in the United States)
- First publication of Bayes' theorem
- Proclamation of 1763
- City of St. Louis Missouri founded

Births

- January 8 - Edmond Charles Genêt, French ambassador to the United States during the French Revolution (d. 1834)
- January 24 - Louis Alexandre Andrault Graf Langeron, Russian general (d. 1731)
- January 26 - Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte, French marshal, King Charles XIV John of Sweden, and Charles III John of Norway (d. 1844)
- February 14 - Jean Victor Marie Moreau, French general (d. 1813)
- February 29 - Ann Lee, American religious leader (d. 1784)
- March 9 - William Cobbett, English journalist and author (d. 1835)
- March 13 - Guillaume Marie Anne Brune, French marshal (d. 1815)
- March 21 - Jean Paul, German writer (d. 1825)
- May 7 - Józef Antoni Poniatowski, Polish prince and Marshal of France (d. 1813)
- May 21 - Joseph Fouché, French statesman (d. 1820)
- June 20 - Theobald Wolfe Tone, Irish patriot (d. 1798)
- June 23 - Josephine de Beauharnais, Empress of France (d. 1814)
- July 17 - John Jacob Astor, German-born entrepreneur (d. 1848)
- December 25 - Claude Chappe, French telecommunication pioneer (d. 1805)
- December 28 - John Molson, Canadian entrepreneur (d. 1836)
- December 31 - Pierre-Charles Villeneuve, French admiral (d. 1806)

Deaths

- January 11 - Caspar Abel, German theologian, historian, and poet (b. 1676)
- January 22 - John Carteret, 2nd Earl Granville, English statesman (b. 1690)
- January 29 - Louis Racine, French poet (b. 1692)
- February 11 - William Shenstone, English poet (b. 1714)
- February 12 - Pierre de Marivaux, French writer (b. 1688)
- May 3 - George Psalmanazar, British impostor
- August 21 - Charles Wyndham, 2nd Earl of Egremont, British statesman (b. 1710)
- September 26 - John Byrom, English poet (b. 1692)
- October 28 - Heinrich, count von Brühl, German statesman (b. 1700)
- November 23 - Friedrich Graf von Seckendorf, German soldier (b. 1673)
- December 17 - Frederick Christian, Elector of Saxony (b. 1722) Category:1763 ko:1763년

March 29

March 29 is the 88th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (89th in Leap years). There are 277 days remaining.

Events

- 537 - Vigilius is consecrated and enthroned as Pope, replacing Silverius.
- 1461 - Wars of the Roses: Battle of Towton - Edward of York defeats Queen Margaret to become King Edward IV of England.
- 1638 - Swedish colonists establish the first settlement in Delaware, called New Sweden.
- 1792 - King Gustav III of Sweden dies after being shot in the back at a midnight masquerade at Stockholm's Royal Opera just 13 days earlier. He is succeeded by Gustav IV Adolf.
- 1799 - New York passes a law aimed at gradually abolishing slavery in the state
- 1806 - Construction authorized of the Great National Pike, better known as the Cumberland Road, becoming the first United States federal highway.
- 1809 - King Gustav IV Adolf of Sweden abdicates after a coup d'état. At the Diet of Porvoo, Finland's four Estates pledge allegiance to Alexander I of Russia, commencing the secession of the Grand Duchy of Finland from Sweden.
- 1847 - Mexican-American War: United States forces led by General Winfield Scott take Veracruz after a siege.
- 1848 - An upstream ice jam stops almost all water flow over Niagara Falls.
- 1849 - The United Kingdom annexes the Punjab
- 1865 - American Civil War: Battle of Appomattox Court House begins
- 1867 - Queen Victoria gives Royal Assent to the British North America Act which establishes the Dominion of Canada on July 1.
- 1871 - The Royal Albert Hall is opened by Queen Victoria.
- 1879 - Anglo-Zulu War: Battle of Kambula: British forces defeat 20,000 Zulus.
- 1882 - The Knights of Columbus are established.
- 1911 - The M1911 semi-automatic handgun designed by John Browning becomes the standard-issue handgun in the United States Army, and is subsequently widely used in World War I, World War II, and the Korean War.
- 1930 - Heinrich Brüning is appointed German Reichskanzler.
- 1941 - World War II: British Royal Navy and Royal Australian Navy forces intercept those of the Italian Regia Marina off the Peloponnesus coast of Greece in the Battle of Cape Matapan.
- 1945 - World War II: Last day of V-1 flying bomb attacks on England.
- 1951 - Red Scare: Ethel and Julius Rosenberg are convicted of conspiracy to commit espionage.
- 1953 - A fire at a nursing home in Largo, Florida kills 35 people.
- 1961 - The Twenty-third Amendment to the United States Constitution is ratified, allowing residents of Washington, DC to vote in presidential elections.
- 1969 - In Madrid, Spain, four different performers tie for first place at the fourteenth Eurovision Song Contest. The medals are shared by Spain's Salomé singing "Vivo cantando" (I live singing), United Kingdom's Lulu singing "Boom Bang-a-bang", Netherlands' Lenny Kuhr singing "De troubadour" (The troubadour), and France's Frida Boccara singing "Un jour, un enfant" (One day, a child...)
- 1971 - Francis Ford Coppola begins filming on Mario Puzo's The Godfather. The movie, released in 1972, goes on to win Oscars for Best Picture, Best Actor, and Best Screenplay.
- 1971 - My Lai massacre: Lt. William Calley is convicted of premeditated murder and sentenced to life in prison.
- 1971 - A Los Angeles, California jury recommends the death penalty for Charles Manson and three female followers.
- 1973 - Vietnam War: The last United States soldiers leave South Vietnam.
- 1974 - NASA's Mariner 10 becomes the first spaceprobe to fly by Mercury. It was launched on November 3, 1973.
- 1975 - Andy Born :-)
- 1981 - First running of the London Marathon
- 1982 - The Canada Act 1982 (U.K.) receives the Royal Assent by Queen Elizabeth II, setting the stage for the Queen of Canada to proclaim the Constitution Act, 1982
- 1982 - Stevie Wonder and Paul McCartney release their single "Ebony and Ivory".
- 1984 - The Baltimore Colts of the NFL move to Indianapolis in the middle of the night.
- 1985 - The first Care Bears Movie, produced by Canadian animation studio Nelvana Limited, is released in US theatres by The Samuel Goldwyn Company.
- 1990 - Warning label on records: recording companies agree to put a warning label on music products that contain potentially offensive lyrics.
- 1993 - Catherine Callbeck becomes premier of Prince Edward Island and Canada's first female premier.
- 1993 - Edouard Balladur becomes Prime Minister of France.
- 1999 - The Dow Jones Industrial Average closes at 10006.78 – above the 10,000 mark for the first time ever.
- 2001 - A chartered Gulfstream III jet crashes into a hillside during approach into Aspen, Colorado, killing 18 people.
- 2004 - Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia join NATO as full members.
- 2004 - The Republic of Ireland becomes the first country in the world to ban smoking in all work places, including bars and restaurants.
- 2006 - Predicted total solar eclipse.

Births

- 1584 - Ferdinando Fairfax, 2nd Lord Fairfax of Cameron, English general (d. 1648)
- 1602 - John Lightfoot, English churchman (d. 1675)
- 1713 - John Ponsonby, Irish politician (d. 1789)
- 1769 - Nicolas Jean de Dieu Soult, French marshal (d. 1851)
- 1790 - John Tyler, 10th President of the United States (d. 1862)
- 1824 - Ludwig Büchner, German philosopher and physician (d. 1899)
- 1826 - Wilhelm Liebknecht, German journalist and politician (d. 1900)
- 1867 - Cy Young, baseball player (d. 1955)
- 1874 - Lou Hoover, First Lady of the United States (d. 1944)
- 1889 - Warner Baxter, American actor (d. 1951)
- 1891 - Yvan Goll, French-German writer (d. 1950)
- 1892 - József Cardinal Mindszenty, Hungarian Catholic cardinal (d. 1975)
- 1895 - Ernst Jünger, German author (d. 1998)
- 1897 - Ruby Muhammad, American wife of Elijah Muhammad
- 1899 - Lavrenty Beria, Soviet Communist leader (d. 1953)
- 1900 - John McEwen, eighteenth Prime Minister of Australia (d. 1980)
- 1901 - Carl Barks, American cartoonist (d. 2000)
- 1901 - Andrija Maurovic, Croatian illustrator (d. 1981)
- 1902 - Marcel Aymé, French writer (d. 1967)
- 1902 - William Walton, English composer (d. 1983)
- 1905 - Philip Ahn, Korean-American actor (d. 1978)
- 1908 - Arthur O'Connell, American actor (d. 1981)
- 1908 - Dennis O'Keefe, American actor (d. 1968)
- 1911 - Brigitte Horney, German actress (d. 1988)
- 1912 - Hanna Reitsch, German pilot (d. 1979)
- 1913 - Tony Zale, American boxer (d. 1997)
- 1913 - R. S. Thomas, Welsh poet (d. 2000)
- 1916 - Eugene McCarthy, American politician (d. 2005)
- 1918 - Pearl Bailey, American singer and actress (d. 1990)
- 1918 - Sam Walton, American businessman (d. 1992)
- 1919 - Eileen Heckart, American actress (d. 2001)
- 1927 - John McLaughlin, American political commentator
- 1927 - John Robert Vane, English pharmacologist, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (d. 2004)
- 1929 - Lennart Meri, President of Estonia
- 1931 - Aleksei Gubarev, cosmonaut
- 1936 - Judith Guest, American author
- 1937 - Billy Carter, Presidential brother (d. 1988)
- 1940 - Ray Davis, American musician (P-Funk)
- 1941 - Joseph Hooton Taylor, Jr., American astrophysicist, Nobel Prize in Physics laureate
- 1943 - Eric Idle, English actor, writer, and composer
- 1943 - John Major, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
- 1943 - Vangelis, Greek musician
- 1944 - Terry Jacks, Canadian musician, songwriter, and activist
- 1944 - Denny McLain, baseball player
- 1945 - Walt Frazier, American basketball player
- 1948 - Bud Cort, American actor
- 1949 - Michael Brecker, American jazz saxophonist
- 1952 - Teofilo Stevenson, Cuban boxer
- 1954 - Karen Ann Quinlan, American right-to-die cause célèbre (d. 1985)
- 1955 - Earl Campbell, American football star
- 1955 - Christopher Lawford, American actor
- 1956 - Patty Donahue, lead singer of The Waitresses
- 1957 - Christopher Lambert, French actor
- 1959 - Perry Farrell, American musician (Jane's Addiction and Porno for Pyros)
- 1960 - Marina Sirtis, English actress
- 1964 - Elle Macpherson, Australian model
- 1967 - Brian Jordan, baseball player
- 1968 - Lucy Lawless, New Zealand actress and singer
- 1976 - Jennifer Capriati, American tennis player
- 1981 - Jlloyd Samuel, West Indian-born footballer
- 1983 - Justin Tuck, NFL football player
- 1986 - Astrit Hasani, Kosovar table-tennis player

Deaths

- 1058 - Pope Stephen X
- 1368 - Emperor Go-Murakami, Emperor of Japan (b. 1328)
- 1461 - Henry Percy, 3rd Earl of Northumberland, English politician (b. 1421)
- 1578 - Arthur Champernowne, English admiral (b. 1524)
- 1578 - Louis I, Cardinal of Guise, French cardinal (b. 1527)
- 1625 - Antonio de Herrera y Tordesillas, Spanish historian (b. 1549)
- 1628 - Tobias Matthew, Archbishop of York (b. 1546)
- 1772 - Emanuel Swedenborg, Swedish philosopher and mathematician (b. 1688)
- 1751 - Thomas Coram, English sea captain and philanthropist
- 1792 - King Gustav III of Sweden, (shot) (b. 1746)
- 1800 - Marc René, marquis de Montalembert, French military engineer and writer (b. 1714)
- 1826 - Johann Heinrich Voß, German poet (b. 1751)
- 1855 - Henri Druey, Swiss Federal Councilor (b. 1799)
- 1888 - Charles-Valentin Alkan, French composer (b. 1813)
- 1906 - Slava Raskaj, Croatian painter (b. 1878)
- 1912 - Robert Falcon Scott, English explorer (b. 1868)
- 1934 - Otto Hermann Kahn, German millionaire and benefactor (b. 1867)
- 1937 - Karol Szymanowski, Polish composer (b. 1882)
- 1959 - Barthelemy Boganda, first President of the Central African Republic (b. 1910)
- 1972 - Lord J. Arthur Rank, movie theater owner (b. 1888)
- 1980 - Mantovani, Italian-born conductor and arranger (b. 1905)
- 1991 - Lee Atwater, American politicial consultant (b. 1951)
- 1999 - Joe Williams, American jazz singer and actor (b. 1918)
- 1992 - Paul Henreid, Austrian actor (b. 1908)
- 1994 - Eugène Ionesco, Romanian-born playwright (b. 1912)
- 1994 - Bill Travers, British actor (b. 1922)
- 1999 - Joe Williams, American singer (b. 1918)
- 2001 - Helge Ingstad, Norwegian explorer (b. 1899)
- 2001 - John Lewis, American jazz pianist (b. 1920)
- 2003 - Carlo Urbani, Italian physician (SARS) (b. 1956)
- 2004 - Sir Peter Ustinov, British actor (b. 1921)
- 2005 - Johnnie Cochran, American lawyer (b. 1937)
- 2005 - Grant Johannesen, American pianist (b. 1921)

Holidays and observances

- Festival of Ishtar

External links

- [http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/march/29 BBC: On This Day]
- [http://www.historychannel.com/tdih/tdih.jsp?month=10272955&day=10272994&cat=10272946 This Day in History] ---- March 28 - March 30 - February 28 (February 29) - April 29 -- listing of all days ko:3월 29일 ms:29 Mac ja:3月29日 simple:March 29 th:29 มีนาคม

1848

1848 is a leap year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar.

Events

Gregorian calendar]
- The Revolutions of 1848, a series of widespread but failed struggles for more liberal governments, from Brazil to Hungary.
- January 12 - The Palermo rising in Sicily rises against the Bourbon kingdom of Two Sicilies
- January 24 - California Gold Rush: James W. Marshall finds gold at Sutter's Mill, in Coloma, near Sacramento
- January 24 - The Storming of the Venezuelan National Congress takes place.
- January 26 - Henry David Thoreau addresses the Concord Lyceum with "The Rights and Duties of the Individual in Relation to Government" (which later came to be known as Civil Disobedience).
- February 2 - Mexican-American War: The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo is signed, ending the war.
- February 2 - California Gold Rush: The first ship with Chinese emigrants seeking fortune in California's gold country arrive in San Francisco.
- February 19 - First rescue party reaches the Donner Party, a convoy of settlers almost buried under snow near what is now the Donner Lake. They have eaten everything, including their own dead
- February 21 - Karl Marx publishes The Communist Manifesto.
- February 22 - In Paris, revolt erupts against the king Louis Philippe. Two days later he abdicates, leading to the Second Republic.
- March 4 - Carlo Alberto di Savoia signs the Statuto Albertino that will represent the first constitution of the Regno d'Italia
- March 7 - The Great Mahele (land division) is signed in Hawaii.
- March 10 - The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo is ratified by the United States Senate, ending the Mexican-American War.
- March 15 - Revolution breaks out in Pest. The Habsburg rulers are compelled to meet the demands of the Reform party.
- March 20 - King Ludwig I of Bavaria abdicates
- March 23 - Province of Otago in New Zealand is founded.
- March 29 - An upstream ice jam stops almost all water flow over Niagara Falls for 30 hours
- April 10 Chartist 'Monster Rally' held in Kennington Park London, headed by Feargus O'Connor. A petition demanding the franchise is presented to parliament.
- April 10 - Bridge collapses in Yarmouth, England - 250 dead
- May 15 - Radicals invade the France Chamber of deputies
- May 19 - Mexican-American War: Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo - Mexico ratifies the treaty thus ending the war and ceding Texas, California and most of Arizona and New Mexico to the United States for $15 million dollars.
- May 29 - Wisconsin is admitted as the 30th U.S. state.
- July 19 - Women's rights: Seneca Falls Convention - The two day Women's Rights Convention opens in Seneca Falls, New York and the "Bloomers" are introduced at the feminist convention.
- July 29 - Irish Potato Famine: Tipperary Revolt - In Tipperary, an unsuccessful nationalist revolt against British rule is put-down by a government police force.
- August 17 - Yucatan officially united with Mexico
- August 19 - California Gold Rush: The New York Herald breaks the news to the East Coast of the United States, that there is a gold rush in California (although the rush started in January)
- August 28 – Mathieu Luis, first black member joins the French parliament as a representative of Guadaloupe
- November 1 - In Boston, Massachusetts, the first medical school for women, The Boston Female Medical School (which later merged with Boston University School of Medicine), opens.
- November 3 - Greatly revised Dutch constitution proclaimed
- November 7 - U.S. presidential election, 1848: Whig Zachary Taylor of Louisiana defeats Democrat Lewis Cass of Michigan in the first US presidential election held in every state on the same day.
- December 2 - Ferdinand I, Emperor of Austria, abdicates in favor of his nephew, Franz Josef I.
- December 10 - Prince Louis-Napoleon Bonaparte elected first president of the French Second Republic.
- December 20 - President Bonaparte takes his Oath of Office in front of the French National Assembly.
- December 26 - Phi Delta Theta Fraternity founded
- Cholera epidemic in New York kills 5000
- Associated Press founded in New York
- Queen's College for women founded in London
- Boston Public Library is founded by an act of the Great and General Court of Massachusetts
- Shaker song Simple Gifts is written by Joseph Brackett in Alfred, Maine
- First railway in Spain is opened, with line Barcelona to Mataró (circa 40 km).
- Illinois and Michigan Canal is completed.
- Independent Republic of Yucatan joins Mexico in exchange for Mexican help in suppressing revolt by Maya Indians.
- Serfdom is abolished in Austro-Hungarian Empire.
- John Bird Sumner becomes archbishop of Canterbury.
- British, Dutch, and German governments lay claim to New Guinea.
- Admiral Nevelskoi explores Strait of Tartary.
- Dunedin, New Zealand is founded by Scots settlers.
- University of Ottawa is founded.
- University of Mississippi is founded.
- University of Wisconsin, Madison is founded.
- Geneva College in Pennsylvania is founded.
- Holmes County, Florida is created.
- Elizabeth Gaskell publishes Mary Barton anonymously.
- Henrik Ibsen publishes first play Catilina.
- Ivar Aasen publishes Grammar of the Norwegian Dialects.
- Robert Schumann composes opera Genoveva.
- Richard Wagner begins writing libretto that will become Der Ring des Nibelungen (The Ring of the Nibelung).
- Rhodes College is founded.

Ongoing events

- Mexican-American War (1846-1848)
- Irish Potato Famine (1845-1849)

Births

- January 6 - Hristo Botev, Bulgarian revolutionary (d. 1876)
- January 19 - John F. Stairs, Canadian businessman and statesman (d. 1904)
- January 21 - Henri Duparc, French composer (d. 1933)
- January 27 - Togo Heihachiro, Japanese admiral (d. 1934)
- February 5 - Joris-Karl Huysmans, French author (d. 1907)
- February 5 - Belle Starr, American outlaw (d. 1889)
- February 8 - Joel Chandler Harris, American journalist and author (d. 1908)
- February 14 - Benjamin Baillaud, French astronomer (d. 1934)
- February 16 - Octave Mirbeau French art critic and novelist (d. 1917)
- February 18 - Louis Comfort Tiffany, American glass artist (d. 1933)
- February 24 - Grant Allen, Canadian author (d. 1899)
- February 24 - Andrew Inglis Clark, Tasmanian politician (d. 1907)
- February 27 - Hubert Parry, English composer (d. 1918)
- March 19 - Wyatt Earp, American lawman and gunfighter (d. 1929)
- March 31 - Viscount William Astor, British financier and statesman (d. 1919)
- April 7 - Randall Thomas Davidson, Archbishop of Canterbury (d. 1930)
- April 10 - Hubertine Auclert, French feminist (d. 1914)
- May 23 - Otto Lilienthal, German engineer (d. 1896)
- June 7 - Paul Gauguin, French artist (d. 1903)
- July 6 - Gabor Baross, Hungarian statesman (d. 1892)
- July 9 - Robert I, Duke of Parma, last ruling Duke of Parma (d. 1907)
- July 15 - Vilfredo Pareto, Italian economist (d. 1923)
- July 22 - Winfield Scott Stratton, American miner (d. 1902)
- July 25 - George Robert Aberigh-Mackay, Anglo-Indian writer (d. 1881)
- July 25 - Arthur James Balfour, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (d. 1930)
- November 13 - Albert I, Prince of Monaco (d. 1922)

Deaths

- January 19 - Isaac D'Israeli, English author (b. 1766)
- January 20 - Christian VIII, King of Denmark (b. 1786)
- February 15 - Hermann von Boyen, Prussian field marshal (b. 1771)
- February 23 - John Quincy Adams, 6th President of the United States (b. 1767)
- March 29 - John Jacob Astor, American businessman (b. 1763)
- April 8 - Gaetano Donizetti, Italian composer (b. 1797)
- May 25 - Annette von Droste-Hülshoff, German writer (b. 1797)
- June 27 - Denis Auguste Affre, Archbishop of Paris (b. 1793)
- July 4 - François-René de Chateaubriand, French writer and diplomat (b. 1768)
- August 7 - Jöns Jakob Berzelius, Swedish chemist (b. 1779)
- August 12 - George Stephenson, English locomotive pioneer (b. 1781)
- November 9 - Robert Blum, German politician (b. 1810)
- November 23 - Sir John Barrow, English statesman (b. 1764)
- November 24 - Lord Melbourne, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (b. 1779)
- December 19 - Emily Brontë, English author (b. 1818)
- Edward Baines, British newspaperman and politician (b. 1774) Category:1848 ko:1848년 simple:1848

Fur

:For alternative meanings, see Fur (disambiguation). Fur (disambiguation) The term fur refers to the body hair of non-human mammals also known as the pelage (like the term plumage in birds). Fur comes from the coats of animals; the animal's coat may consist of short ground hair, long guard hair, and, in some cases, medium awn hair. Not all mammals have fur; animals without fur may be referred to as "naked", as in The Naked Ape and naked mole rat. Fur usually consists of two main layers:
- Ground hair or underfur — the bottom layer consisting of wool hairs when tend to be shorter, flattened, curly and denser than the top layer.
- Guard hair — the top layer consisting of longer straight shafts of hair that stick out through the underfur. This is usually what's visible in most mammals and contains most of the pigmentation. Despite the best efforts of the animal protest industry to shroud the wearing of animal fur in controversy using hyperbole, graphic images and celebrities eager to heighten their own profiles and that of their products fur continues to be seen as a natural and relatively environmentally friendly fashion commodity.

Fur clothing

Fur has served as an important source of clothing for humans, especially in colder climates since time immemorial. Modern cultures continue to wear fur and fur trim as dictated by fashion trends and it is still considered by many as a luxury item, despite the best efforts of the animal lobby's campaigns which peaked in the early eighties with the participation of numerous celebrities, many of whom have since been seen in fur clothing. Animal furs used in garments and trim may be dyed bright colors or to mimic exotic animal patterns, or shorn down to imitate the feel of a soft velvet fabric. The term "a fur" is often used to refer to a fur coat, wrap, or shawl. Common animal sources for fur clothing and fur trimmed accessories include:
- fox
- rabbit
- mink
- beaver
- ermine
- otter
- sable
- seal
- Import and sale of seal products is currently banned in the US.
- cat
- Import, export and sales banned in the US in 2000 (Dog and Cat Protection Act of 2000 [http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/import/commercial_enforcement/prohibition_products_with_dog_cat_fur.xml])
- dog
- Import, export and sales banned in the US in 2000 (Dog and Cat Protection Act of 2000 [http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/import/commercial_enforcement/prohibition_products_with_dog_cat_fur.xml])
- coyote
- chinchilla The manufacturing of fur clothing involves obtaining animal pelts where the hair is left on the animal's processed skin. In contrast, leather made from sheepskin or other animal hides involves removing the fur from the skin and using only the skin. The use of wool involves shearing the animal's hair from the living animal, so that the wool can be regrown. Fake fur or "faux fur" designates any synthetic material that mimics the appearance and feel of real fur, without the use of animal products. The chemical treatment of fur to increase its felting quality is known as carroting, as the process tends to turn the tips of the fur a yellowish-red "carrot like" colour. Today, the animal protest industry continues to expend considerable energy and resources to create controvery over the methods of fur farming and trapping used to produce fur clothing but record prices for fur pelts and the ubiquity of fur clothing and trim in the fashion media demonstrates fur's tenaciously duarble appeal. To date the widespread use of dehaired animal skins in use such as leather or even sheepskins has curiously failed to attract the same investment of resources and time from the animal lobby and their fund raising campaigns.

Fur fetishes

The soft, warm texture of fur appeals to many people; for some, the attraction becomes a fur fetishism, a fetishistic attraction to people wearing fur, or in certain cases, to the fur garments themselves. Category:Mammals ja:毛皮

Astor family

The Astor family, founded by the German immigrant John Jacob Astor and his wife Sarah Todd, became the wealthiest family in the United States during the 19th century. Towards the end of that century, a branch moved to England and achieved great prominence there. As the 20th century wore on the family fortunes declined, but their legacy lives on in their many public works including the New York Public Library, and members of the British branch hold two hereditary peerages, a viscountcy and a barony. John Jacob Astor's brother also emigrated to America. Henry Astor, a horse racing enthusiast, purchased a thoroughbred named Messenger who had been brought from England in 1788. The horse became the founding sire of all Standardbred horses in the United states today. Beyond the famous Waldorf - Astoria Hotel, the Astor family name is imprinted in a great deal of United States history and geography. There is a town of Astor in the states of Florida, Georgia, Iowa, and Kansas and there are Astorias in Illinois, Missouri, New York, and Oregon. There is an Astor Park in Florida and an Astor Court and Astor Place in New York City and a large number of town and city thoroughfares bearing the family name. A number of Astor family members are buried in Trinity Church Cemetery in Manhattan, New York.

Members

Listed By Ancestry/Generation:
- John Jacob Astor (1763-1848)
- Magdalen Astor (1788-1832) - John Bristed (1778-1855)
- Charles Astor Bristed (1820-1874)
- John Jacob Astor II (1791-1869)
- William Backhouse Astor, Sr. (1792-1875)
- John Jacob Astor III (1822-1890) 1st son of William
- William Waldorf Astor, 1st Viscount Astor (1848-1919)
-
- William Waldorf Astor, 2nd Viscount Astor (1879-1952)
-
- William Waldorf Astor, 3rd Viscount Astor (1907-1966)
-
- William Astor, 4th Viscount Astor (born 1951)
-
- Francis David Langhorne Astor (1912-2001)
-
- Michael Langhorne Astor (1916-1979)
-
- John Jacob Astor (born 1918)
-
- John Jacob Astor, 1st Baron Astor of Hever (1886-1971)
-
- John Astor MP (1923–1987)
- William Backhouse Astor, Jr. (1830-1892) 2nd son of William
- John Jacob Astor IV (1864-1912)
-
- William Vincent Astor (1891-1959) son by 1st wife
-
- John Jacob Astor VI (1912-1992) son by 2nd wife
-
- William Backhouse III (born 1935)

By marriage

- Brooke Russell Marshall Astor (1902- )
- Caroline Webster Schermerhorn Astor (1830-1908)
- Madeleine Astor (1894-1940)
- Nancy, Lady Astor (1879-1964)

Walldorf

Walldorf is a town in the Baden part of Baden-Württemberg in Germany. Walldorf is currently probably best known as the city that headquarters the software company SAP. But it is also the hometown of John Jacob Astor. The name of the train station is Wiesloch-Walldorf, not Walldorf (which is somewhere else entirely). Category:Towns in Baden-Württemberg

Rhine Neckar Area

This article is about the greater Rhine Neckar area in Germany. See also the German district Rhein-Neckar-Kreis. ---- The Rhine Neckar Area, often referred to as Rhein-Neckar-Triangle is a Metropolitan Area located in south western Germany, between Frankfurt and Stuttgart. The area around the major cities Mannheim, Ludwigshafen and Heidelberg has a population of 3.5 million and encompasses three federal states: Baden-Wuerttemberg, Rhineland-Palatinate and Hesse. Hesse] Hesse The region named after the rivers Rhine and Neckar is officially recognized as a European Metropolitan Area. It is a successor of the historical Kurpfalz county. The famous city of Heidelberg with its castle and its ancient town is recognized on the World Heritage list. Its university is the oldest one in Germany. Mannheim, where Carl Benz invented his first automobile, is on the other hand one of the most important industrial centers of Southern Germany. Its twin city Ludwigshafen across the Rhine river is host of the largest chemical plant of the world, the headquarters of BASF. The three major cities are surrounded by a diverse and culturally rich region, including the Palatinate, the largest vine region of the country called Deutsche Weinstraße, the pittoresque Neckar valley and the ancient cities of Speyer and Worms.

London

London is the capital city of the United Kingdom and of England. As Europe's richest city, London produces 17% of the UK's GDP, and is one of the world's major business and financial centres. The capital of the former global empire, London is a leader in culture, communications, politics, finance, entertainment and the arts and has considerable influence worldwide. arts]] arts] London is the most populous city in the European Union, with an estimated population on 1 January 2005 of 7,500,000 and a metropolitan area population of between 12 and 14 million. London's population includes an extremely diverse range of peoples, cultures, and religions, making it one of the most cosmopolitan, vibrant and energetic cities on earth. A resident of London is referred to as a Londoner. Over 300 languages are spoken in London, making it the most linguistically diverse city in the world. Initially it was a Roman city and known as Londinium and then as Lunnainn, Llundain and Londain in the Scottish, Welsh and Irish languages respectively. London is known by these names in other languages. London is the home of many global organisations, institutions and companies, and as such retains its leading role in global affairs. A city where cutting-edge meets tradition, London is a major tourist destination and transport hub. It has a great number of important buildings and iconic landmarks, including world-famous museums, theatres, concert halls, galleries, airports, sports stadia and palaces. London is one of the world's major global cities (along with New York City, Tokyo and Paris).

Defining London

Today, "London" usually refers to the conurbation known as Greater London, which is divided into thirty-two London Boroughs and the City of London and forms the London region of England. Historically, "London" referred to the square mile of the City of London at the conurbation's heart, from which the city grew. Between 1889 and 1965 it referred to the former County of London which covered the area now known as Inner London. There are other definitions of "London" which cover varying areas, such as the London postal district; the area covered by the telephone area code 020; the area accessible by public transport using a Transport for London Travelcard; the area delimited by the M25 orbital motorway; the Metropolitan Police district; and the London commuter belt. The coordinates of the centre of London (traditionally considered to be Charing Cross, near the junction of Trafalgar Square, the Strand, Whitehall and the Mall) are approximately . The Romans marked the centre of Londinium with the London Stone in the City.

Geography and climate

London Stone, with Green Park and St. James's Park to its right]] Greater London covers an area of 609 square miles (1,579 km²). London is a port on the Thames, a navigable river. The river has had a major influence on the development of the city. London was founded on the north bank of the Thames and there was only a single bridge, London Bridge, for many centuries. As a result, the main focus of the city was on the north side of the Thames. When more bridges were built in the 18th century, the city expanded in all directions as the mostly flat or gently rolling countryside around the Thames floodplain presented no obstacle to growth. There are some hills in London, examples being Parliament Hill and Primrose Hill, but these provided fine prospects of the city centre without significantly affecting the directions of the spread of the city and London is therefore roughly circular. The Thames was once a much broader, shallower river than it is today. It has been extensively embanked, and many of its London tributaries now flow underground. The Thames is a tidal river, and London is vulnerable to flooding. The threat has increased over time due to a slow but continuous rise in high water level and the slow 'tilting' of Britain (up in the north and down in the south) caused by post-glacial rebound. The Thames Barrier was constructed across the Thames at Woolwich in the 1970s to deal with this threat, but in early-2005 it was suggested that a ten-mile-long barrier further downstream might be required to deal with the flood risk in the future [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/4162905.stm]. London has a temperate climate, with warm but seldom hot summers, cool but rarely severe winters, and regular but generally light precipitation throughout the year. Summer temperatures rarely rise much above 33°C (91°F), though higher temperatures have become more common recently. The highest temperature ever recorded in London was 38.1°C (100.6°F), measured at Kew Gardens during the European Heat Wave of 2003. Heavy snowfalls are almost unknown. In recent winters, snow has rarely settled to more than an inch (25 mm). London's average annual precipitation of less than 24 inches (600 mm) is lower than that of Rome or Sydney. London's large built-up area creates a microclimate, with heat stored by the city's buildings: sometimes temperatures are 5°C (9°F) warmer in the city than in the surrounding areas.

History

microclimate bombings of London]] The name London is commonly thought to have come from the Latin name Londinium, as London was founded by the Romans during their reign over the land, around 43AD – although there is some slight evidence of pre-Roman settlement. The [http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/timelines/england/rom_roman_invasion.shtml BBC History website], however, claims that the name Londinium is actually "Celtic, not Latin, and may originally have referred to a previous farmstead on the site"; the root is 'Lond' meaning 'wild' (i.e. overgrown or forested) place. This fortified Roman settlement was the capital of the province of Britannia. According to findings displayed in London Museum, the initial language of London was Latin with much Greek spoken due to the presence of Greek speaking Roman soldiers and businessmen. Another suggestion for where the name of the city comes from could be that of the mythical leader, King Lud. It was said that Lud laid out the first set of roads in the city. His statue can be seen hidden at the church of St Dunstan's In The West, Fleet Street. Around AD 61 the Iceni tribe of Celts lead by Queen Boudica stormed London and took the city from the Romans. The Celts burnt the relatively new Roman town to the ground, and archaeological digs have revealed a layer of red ash beneath the City of London, which is believed to be the burnt remains of the old Roman town. After the fall of the Roman Empire, Londinium was abandoned and a Saxon town named Lundenwic was established approximately one mile to the west in what is now Aldwych, in the 7th century. The old Roman city was then reoccupied during the late-9th or early-10th century. Westminster was once a distinct town, and has been the seat of the English royal court and government since the mediæval era. Eventually, Westminster and London grew together and formed the basis of London, becoming England's largest – though not capital – city (Winchester was the capital city of England until the 12th century). London has grown steadily over centuries, surrounding and making suburbs of neighbouring villages and towns, farmland, countryside, meadows and woodlands, spreading in every direction. From the 16th to the early-20th century, London flourished as the capital of the British Empire. In 1666, the Great Fire of London swept through and destroyed a large part of the City of London. Rebuilding took over 10 years, but London's growth accelerated in the 18th century, and, by the early-19th century, it was the largest city in the world. London's local government system struggled to cope with this rapid growth, especially in providing the city with adequate infrastructure. In 1855 the Metropolitan Board of Works was created to provide London with infrastructure to cope with its growth. In 1889 the MBW was abolished, and the County of London was created which was administered by the London County Council, the first elected London-wide administrative body. Probably the most significant changes to London in the last 100 years were as a result of the Blitz and other bombing by the German Luftwaffe that took place during World War II. The bombing killed over 30,000 Londoners and flattened large tracts of housing and other buildings across London. The rebuilding during the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s was characterised by a wide range of architectural styles and has resulted in a lack of unity in architecture that has become part of London's character. Until their 1997 ceasefire, London was regularly a target for IRA bombers seeking to pressurise the British government into negotiations with Sinn Féin on Northern Ireland. On 7 July 2005, there was a series of coordinated bomb attacks by Islamic extremist suicide bombers on three underground stations and a bus. The explosions came less than 24 hours after London was awarded the 2012 Summer Olympics and as the G-8 summit was underway in Gleneagles, Scotland. A series of explosions also took place on 21 July 2005; however, in the latter incident, there were no fatalities.

Modern London

2005 Today Greater London comprises the City of London and the 32 London boroughs (including the City of Westminster). 12 of these boroughs are defined as Inner London, the remaining 20 defined as Outer London. The dominant centre of activity in London is the City of Westminster (including the West End) which is the main cultural, entertainment and shopping district, the location of most of London's major corporate headquarters outside of the financial services sector, and the centre of the UK's national government. The City of London (also known as the "Square Mile") is at the centre of international finance, and is Europe’s main business centre. The headquarters of more than 100 of Europe’s 500 largest companies are all in London. The London foreign exchange market is the largest in the world, with an average daily turnover of $504 billion, more than the New York and Tokyo exchanges combined. While very busy during the working week, most parts of the City tend to be quiet at weekends, since it is primarily a non-residential area. London is one of the most visited cities on earth. Tourist attractions are located mainly in Central London, comprising the historic City of London; the West End with its many cinemas, bars, clubs, theatres, shops and restaurants; the City of Westminster with Westminster Abbey, the Royal palaces of Buckingham Palace, Clarence House etc., the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea with its museums (the Science Museum, Natural History Museum, and Victoria and Albert Museum) and Hyde Park. Other important tourist attractions include St Paul's Cathedral, the National Gallery; the South Bank and Bankside areas of Southwark with the Globe Theatre and the Tate Modern; London Bridge, Tower Bridge, the Tower of London, and the Tate Britain on the Embankment; and the British Museum in Bloomsbury. There are many other places of interest across the city.

Culture

:Main article: Culture of London. London is an international centre of culture in all its forms - music, theatre, arts, museums, festivals and much more.

London Districts

See also: Inner London, Outer London.

Central London

City of London

Outer London]] The City of London is the principal financial district of the United Kingdom, and is one of the most important in the world. It is governed by the Corporation of London, an ancient body headed by the Lord Mayor of London. The City also has its own police force, the City of London police. Once dominated by the dome of St Paul's Cathedral, it is now home to many skyscrapers, including Tower 42 (formerly, and popularly still, known as the NatWest Tower) and 30 St Mary Axe (popularly known as the "Gherkin", built in 2003). The City has only a small (c. 7,000) resident population, but a daytime working population of more than 300,000. Its primacy as the chief financial district has been directly challenged in recent years by Canary Wharf in East London.

The West End

Canary Wharf.]] The West End is the most popular shopping and entertainment district in London. Trafalgar Square is the most prominent landmark. Oxford Street is one of the best-known shopping streets in the world. Running from Charing Cross Road in the east to Marble Arch in the west, via Oxford Circus where it crosses Regent Street, it is home to many large department stores and shops (Selfridges, John Lewis, Marks and Spencer). Tottenham Court Road runs north from the eastern end of Oxford Street towards the north of the city centre, and is best known for its plethora of hi-fi, computer and electronics stores. West of the City, Covent Garden is home to the Avenue of Stars, London's version of Hollywood's Walk of Fame. South of Oxford Street's eastern end is Soho, a network of small streets crowded with restaurants, pubs, clubs, smaller shops and boutiques, and theatres and cinemas, as well as media companies and film, advertising and post-production companies. Soho is also well known for its very lively club and bar scene, the notorious sex industry and as the major "gay quarter" of the city. Piccadilly is an elegant thoroughfare running from Piccadilly Circus in the east to Hyde Park Corner in the west. It is adjacent to Mayfair, and Green Park. Regent Street and Bond Street are important thoroughfares.

East London

East London saw much of London's early industrial development and much of it now is being extensively redeveloped as part of the Thames Gateway. It was also key to London's successful bid to host the 2012 Olympics, and is now scheduled to undergo extensive regeneration in the run-up to the games. This is the second time in modern history that East London has seen large-scale rebuilding: it took the full force of the Blitz in World War Two, with post-war reconstruction leaving a legacy of bleak housing estates and tower blocks in several areas.

The East End

tower block The East End of London is closest to the original Port of London, and tended for that reason to be the area of the city where immigrants arriving into the port would settle first. Successive waves of immigrants include the French, the Huguenots, Belgians, Jews, Gujaratis, Pakistanis, Bangladeshis and many other groups. The East End extends from the eastern side of the City of London and includes areas such as Whitechapel, Mile End, Bethnal Green, Hackney, Bow, Millwall and Poplar. The area has many places of interest including many of London's markets, (for example Columbia Road Flower Market, Spitalfields Market, Brick Lane Market, Petticoat Lane Market), and several museums, including the Geffrye Museum and the Museum of Childhood in Bethnal Green.

Docklands

Bethnal Green]] The London Docklands, on the Isle of Dogs along the Thames in the East End, has developed enormously since the early-1980s. For a period in the early-1980s, many warehouse buildings in Wapping had been occupied and used as artists studios and low-cost loft living spaces. This inevitably drew the attention of property developers who gradually (and then not so gradually) moved in to take over. The London Docklands Development Corporation (LDDC) was set up in 1981 to accelerate the process, and the first phases of major development started to reshape the area, culminating in Canary Wharf, whose best-known feature is the 1 Canada Square office tower (which is often incorrectly called "Canary Wharf"), which has been the UK's tallest skyscraper since 1991. A massive-scale development within the last three or four years has added a great many more skyscrapers, and many large businesses (investment banks, law firms, etc.) have moved in. A new headquarters for HSBC and Barclays as well as the European headquarters of Citigroup, have now been completed, and are in use. Attracted by this growth, restaurants, bars and nightclubs have opened, there are three interconnected shopping malls beneath the Canary Wharf structure, and a cinema complex has opened in the area. The Docklands Light Railway (DLR) serves the area, connecting to the London Underground at Bank, Shadwell, Canning Town and Stratford stations. There has also been a great deal of gentrification and residential development in the area: North of the Thames around Limehouse Basin and toward Wapping, as well as south of the Thames in Rotherhithe where former wharfs and the old docks have been converted into high-priced loft apartments for a community of bankers, software developers and others working in the financial service industries in and around Docklands. Further east in the London Borough of Newham are London City Airport and the ExCeL Exhibition Centre.

West London

West London includes many of the traditionally fashionable and expensive residential areas such as Notting Hill, made better known in 1999 by a film of the same name starring Hugh Grant and Julia Roberts. Within the district is the famous antique market at Portobello Road. Kensington and Chelsea are the most expensive places to live in the country. The area is also famous for the Kings Road, a distinguished and attractive shopping street and thoroughfare. Further to the west, at White City, near Shepherd's Bush, is the principal operating centre for the BBC, while in the extreme west, in the London Borough of Hillingdon, lies Heathrow Airport. Considered more south-west than West London on account of its being the only London borough to straddle the River Thames, Richmond upon Thames includes the attractive riverside districts of Richmond and Twickenham. This corner of London is home to Richmond Park, London's largest, and Twickenham, the home of English rugby union.

North London

North London includes suburbs