Fun Facts About John D. Rockefeller
- John D. Rockefeller became known in later life for handing out dimes to adults and nickels to children wherever he went, even giving dimes to tire mogul Harvey Firestone.[1]
- Rockefeller's father was a con artist who sold elixirs as a self-styled "botanic physician" and once bragged, "I cheat my boys every chance I get. I want to make 'em sharp."[1]
- Rockefeller's first job, at 16, was assistant bookkeeper at a Cleveland produce firm, and even then he gave six percent of his earnings to charity.[1]
- As a youth, Rockefeller reportedly said his two great ambitions were to make $100,000 and to live 100 years.[1]
- During a stressful period in the 1890s, Rockefeller developed alopecia. By 1901 he was wearing toupées, and his hair never grew back.[1]
- Spelman College in Atlanta is named after the family of Rockefeller's wife, Laura Spelman, and its oldest building, Rockefeller Hall, is named after him.[1]
- John D. Rockefeller was alive at the same time as Pope Francis — their lives overlapped for 1 year (1936–1937).[1][2][3][4]
- John D. Rockefeller and Henrik Ibsen died on the same day of the year, May 23.[1][2][5][6]
John Davison Rockefeller Sr. was an American businessman and philanthropist. He was one of the wealthiest Americans of all time and one of the richest persons in modern history. Rockefeller was born into a large family in Upstate New York who moved several times before eventually settling in Cleveland, Ohio. He became an assistant bookkeeper at age 16 and went into several business partnerships beginning at age 20, concentrating his business on oil refining. Rockefeller founded the Standard Oil Company in 1870. He ran it until 1897 and remained its largest shareholder. In his retirement, he focused his energy and wealth on philanthropy, especially regarding education, medicine, higher education, and modernizing the Southern United States.[1]
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Questions About John D. Rockefeller
When was John D. Rockefeller born?
John D. Rockefeller was born on July 8, 1839, and died on May 23, 1937.
How old was John D. Rockefeller at death?
John D. Rockefeller was born on July 8, 1839, and died on May 23, 1937, at age 97.
What was John D. Rockefeller known for?
John D. Rockefeller was known for: Standard Oil tycoon, among the richest Americans in history. John Davison Rockefeller Sr. was an American businessman and philanthropist. He was one of the wealthiest Americans of all time and one of the richest persons in modern history. Rockefeller was born into a large family in Upstate New York who moved several times before eventually settling in Cleveland, Ohio. He became an assistant bookkeeper at age 16 and went into several business partnerships beginning at age 20, concentrating his business on oil refining. Rockefeller founded the Standard Oil Company in 1870. He ran it until 1897 and remained its largest shareholder. In his retirement, he focused his energy and wealth on philanthropy, especially regarding education, medicine, higher education, and modernizing the Southern United States.
Who was alive at the same time as John D. Rockefeller?
John D. Rockefeller's closest contemporary was Claude Monet. Their lives overlapped for 86 years.
Sources
- John D. Rockefeller — Wikipedia. Text available under CC BY-SA 4.0
- John D. Rockefeller (Q160278) — Wikidata
- Pope Francis — Wikipedia
- Pope Francis (Q450675) — Wikidata
- Henrik Ibsen — Wikipedia
- Henrik Ibsen (Q36661) — Wikidata
- Portrait: John-D-Rockefeller-sen.jpg — Wikimedia Commons. http://www.richacls.com/Home%20Page/Instructors%20Page/Scenario%20Brady-Asystole-TCP%2C%20John%20D.htm, Public domain