June 02

Jonas Alströmer (1685-1761) was a pioneering Swedish businessman credited with popularizing potato cultivation in Sweden. He founded textile factories in Alingsås and Gothenburg, improving linen and wool production techniques. Alströmer studied agricultural and industrial methods abroad, bringing new ideas back to his homeland. His efforts helped diversify Sweden's economy and reduce reliance on imports. Today, he is celebrated as a key figure in 18th-century Swedish economic modernization.

Born in 1931 in Managua, Adolfo Calero studied in the United States before returning to run his family's hardware business. After the Sandinista revolution in 1979, he emerged as a key opponent, co-founding the Nicaraguan Democratic Force (FDN) to resist the new government. Calero served as the FDN's president, coordinating military strategy and securing significant U.S. support during the Iran–Contra affair. His leadership made him the public face of the Contras, influencing American foreign policy under President Reagan. Calero's dual identity as a businessman and political activist underscored the complex dynamics of Cold War Central America. He remained a controversial figure until his death in 2012.