John Jacob Astor IV

Colonel John Jacob Astor IV (July 13, 1864 - April 15, 1912) was a businessman, inventor, writer and a member of the prominent Astor family. Serving as a lieutenant colonel in the Spanish-American War, Astor mainly dealt in real estate which included the original Waldorf=Astoria Hotel. A divorce and marriage to the much younger Madeleine Talmadge Force caused a scandal and he and his new wife took an extended honeymoon abroad to wait out the controversy. Madeleine Astor's pregnancy cut short the trip and they booked passage on board the RMS Titanic which struck an iceberg and sank on April 15, 1912. John Jacob Astor IV was among the more than 1,500 victims of the sinking.

Legends

John Jacob Astor's prominence made his actions while the Titanic was sinking legendary. Many exaggerated and unsubstantiated accounts about what Astor did the night Titanic sank appeared in newspapers and books after the disaster. Stories included that he was the one who opened Titanic's kennel and released the dogs, another story has Astor putting a women's hat on a boy to make sure he was able to get into a lifeboat.

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Astor's fame has made him an often used character in films about Titanic. William Johnstone played Astor in the 1953 film Titanic and in the 1997 Titanic he was played by Eric Braeden, who was picked for his strong resemblance to Astor.

Related Topics:
Film - 1953 - Titanic - 1997 - Titanic - Eric Braeden

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