06 November-Charles Dow

— Share your story

Charles Dow created the Dow Jones Industrial Average, which is usually referred to as the Dow. He was a journalist and economist who was a native of the USA. He was a co-founder of Dow Jones & Company in 1882. He also founded the Wall Street Journal.

Charles Henry Dow was born in Sterling, Connecticut in 1851. He worked as a journalist before moving to New York in 1880. He worked for a financial news service and in 1882 he founded the Dow Jones & Company with Edward Jones and Charles Bergstresser. Based on research he carried out into market movements he invented the Dow (Dow Jones Industrial Average) in 1896.

Charles Dow, creator of the Dow and founder of the Wall Street Journal, was born in Sterling, Connecticut in the year 1851 On This Day.

Charles_Henry_Dow.jpg

03 August-Fitzgerald-Lorentz Contraction

— Share your story

George Francis FitzGerald was a physicist who was a native of Dublin. He is best known for developing the theory, the Fitzgerald-Lorentz Contraction. The theory was used by Albert Einstein in his Theory of Relativity.

George Francis FitzGerald was born in Dublin in 1851 and was educated at Trinity College Dublin. In 1881 he was appointed professor of natural and experimental philosophy at Trinity. He served there for the rest of his career. As well as developing the Fitzgerald-Lorentz Contraction, Fitzgerald made important contributions in other areas including electromagnetic theory.

George Francis FitzGerald, best known for the development of the Fitzgerald-Lorentz Contraction, was born in Dublin in the year 1851 On This Day.

George Francis Fitzgerald

Grendelkhan.

Photo by National Library of Ireland on The Commons

I never saw anything like it in my life before! (an early flying machine?)

30 December-Coca-Cola

— Share your story

Asa Griggs Candler, whose ancestor Daniel Candler was born in Callan in Co Kilkenny, Ireland, was the founder of the Coca-Cola Company. William Candler, a son of Daniel, emigrated to America in the mid 1700’s. He settled in Richmond, Georgia.

One of a family of eleven children Asa Candler was born on a farm near Villa Rica, Georgia in 1851. Having trained as a pharmacist he began his career as a drugstore clerk. He bought the rights to what was described as a tonic and headache medicine called the Coca-Cola formula, from John Pemberton in 1887.

Through aggressive marketing Candler made millions of dollars from sales of the soft drink product. Though the product contained a ‘secret formula’ it did not contain caffeine or cocaine. By the turn of the century Coca-Cola had become a nationwide phenomenon in the United States. Today it is a world renowned beverage. It has one of the most widespread distribution networks in the world.

In 1919 Candler sold the business for $25,000,000. He became involved in real estate development and in philanthropic activities. He served as Mayor of Atlanta, Georgia from 1916 to 1919. Candler Park in the city of Atlanta, is named in his honour. Candler’s home in Atlanta is called Callan Castle, which alludes to his ancestral home town in Ireland. He died in Atlanta, Georgia on March 12th 1929.

Asa Griggs Candler, the founder of the Coca-Cola Company, was born in the year 1851 On This Day.

Photo by Ken Lund

Coca-Cola Sign, Atlanta, Georgia

30 December-Asa Griggs Candler

— Share your story

Asa Griggs Candler whose ancestors were from Callan in Co Kilkenny was the founder of the Coca-Cola Company. Having trained as a pharmacist he began his career as a drugstore clerk. He bought the Coca-Cola formula from John Pemberton in 1887 and through aggressive marketing made millions of dollars from sales of the product. In 1919 Candler sold the business for $25,000,000 and became involved in philanthropic activities. He served as Mayor of Atlanta from 1916 to 1919. His home in Atlanta, Georgia is called Callan Castle which alludes to his ancestral home town in Ireland. Asa Griggs Candler was born in the year 1851 On This Day

Asa Candler photo

Photo by dbking

Asa Candler photo

Photo by GPB News