ONE OF OVER 2,208 PASSENGER & CREW STORIES - JOHN JACOB ASTOR IV, BORN JULY 13, 1864

Probably the most recognizable name on Titanic was that of John Jacob Astor IV, head of the Astor family founded by his fur-trading ancestor. He was the wealthiest man aboard the maiden voyage of the RMS Titanic.

Educated at Harvard, John J. Astor had married Ava Willing and was the father of a son and daughter. He had written a prophetic science-fiction novel and had invented an improved type of bicycle brake. He was also a Bible scholar and had served as a Lt. Colonel in the US volunteers in the Spanish-American War. In New York City in 1897, he built the Astoria Hotel beside the Waldorf Hotel built by his cousin. The new complex became known as the Waldorf-Astoria.

Although successful in almost all other aspects of his life, Mr. Astor’s marriage to Ava Willing ended in divorce. That’s when the social elite of New York began to notice the attention he was paying to a teenage girl named Madeleine Force. Although their ages separated them by almost 30 years they were frequently seen together at parties and often danced with one another. Their engagement was announced in 1911, and their subsequent Rhode Island wedding was the subject of widespread gossip among the idle rich. To escape the somewhat uncomfortable social climate, the newlyweds traveled in Egypt and planned to stay abroad in Europe for an extended period. When the couple discovered that Madeleine was pregnant the trip was cut short, and plans were made to return to the United States aboard Titanic.

The Astors enjoyed all the luxuries and amenities of shipboard life in first class until the night of April 14, 1912. When the ship struck the iceberg, John saw to it that Madeleine safely entered a lifeboat and inquired if he could join her due to her “delicate condition.” He was informed he could not. He was last seen smoking a cigarette and peering over the deck. The wealthiest man aboard Titanic may have been crushed by one of four enormous funnels when they fell. His body was later recovered and returned to New York for burial in the family plot.