1818day.year

Jean Baptiste Point du Sable

(1750 - 1818)

American fur trader, founded Chicago

American fur trader founded Chicago
A Haitian-American fur trader widely recognized as the first permanent non-indigenous settler of Chicago and its founder.
Born around 1750, likely in Saint-Domingue (modern Haiti), Jean Baptiste Point du Sable became a successful fur trader in the Great Lakes region. He established a homestead at the mouth of the Chicago River around 1784, building a trading post, farm, and dwellings that attracted traders and Native American allies. This settlement grew into the foundations of modern Chicago, later sold to newcomers in 1800. Point du Sable's entrepreneurial spirit and multicultural background embodied the frontier dynamics of post-colonial North America. Despite his pivotal role, his contributions were overlooked for generations before he was celebrated as the 'Founder of Chicago.'
1818 Jean Baptiste Point du Sable
1934day.year

Edgeworth David

(1858 - 1934)

Welsh-Australian geologist and explorer

Welsh-Australian geologist and explorer
Welsh-Australian geologist and Antarctic explorer who led the first expedition to the Magnetic South Pole.
Sir Edgeworth David (1858–1934) was a pioneering geologist and professor at the University of Sydney.\nHe led the 1907 Sub-Antarctic expedition that achieved the first ascent of Mount Erebus and reached the Magnetic South Pole.\nDavid’s research into coal fields, minerals, and tectonics substantially advanced Australian geology and mining.\nHe later served under Douglas Mawson in the Australasian Antarctic Expedition of 1911–1914.\nHis leadership and scientific contributions earned him knighthood and a lasting legacy in polar exploration and earth sciences.
1934 Edgeworth David