Astor, John Jacob

One of the world s wealthiest men, John Jacob Astor was an American businessman, inventor and author. Astor s best known literary work is A Journey to Other Worlds, a science fiction novel about life on Saturn and Jupiter in the year 2000. In addition to his literary pursuits, Astor also patented several inventions, helped develop a turbine engine, and built the Astoria Hotel in New York City. John Jacob Astor died tragically when the Titanic sank during its maiden voyage in April 1912, after seeing his young wife safely into a lifeboat.