Infamous Facts About Henry Ford, The Man Who Put The World On Wheels
Henry Ford is often listed as one of the great American businessmen. Of course, for all his wild successes (of which there were many) Ford nevertheless fell on his face quite a few times as well. How did such an advocate for pacifism during the First World War become a “respected spokesman for right-wing extremism and religious prejudice” afterward? What sort of obstacles stood in Ford’s way as he climbed to the top of America’s automobile industry? Find out more below with our 42 facts about this giant of American industry.
1. Date of Birth
Ford was born on a farm in Greenfield Township, Michigan on the 30th of July 1863. His father, William, was an immigrant from Ireland while his mother, Mary, was the orphaned daughter of Belgian immigrants.
2. Tommy and Henry
Ford was famously friends with American inventor Thomas Edison. Ford got his start working for Edison’s Illuminating Company, and later met the man himself as he climbed the ladder.
The two of them would frequently go driving together, and even had vacation homes beside each other in Fort Myers, Florida.
3. Starting Small
Ford’s first automobile was finished in 1896 and was called a Quadricycle. As befitting the name, it had the body of a primitive car with four bicycle wheels attached.
4. He Ruled Supreme
Ford’s success in the early 1900s was such that more than half of all produced automobiles were under the Ford brand!
