John Jacob Astor IV was one of the most prominent victims of the Titanic disaster in 1912. As a wealthy heir to the Astor family, his life was marked by significant achievements in real estate, technological innovation, and literary pursuits. Astor IV was born on July 13, 1864, in New York City, into one of the richest families in the world. His great-grandfather, John Jacob Astor I, had immigrated from Germany to North America in the early 18th century, amassing a vast fortune through the fur trade and real estate. This foundation of wealth and influence was inherited by Astor IV, who received an elite education at Harvard University, though there is no official record of his formal graduation. Astor IV made a significant impact on the New York skyline with his real estate projects. In 1897, he constructed the Astoria Hotel, adjacent to his cousin William Waldorf Astor's Waldorf Hotel. The two hotels later merged to form the iconic Waldorf-Astoria Hotel. In 1904, Astor IV also built the St. Regis Hotel, which was considered the most advanced hotel in the United States at the time, featuring telephones in every room. Beyond his real estate ventures, Astor IV was a multifaceted individual with interests in writing and invention. In 1894, he published the science fiction novel "A Journey in Other Worlds," which envisioned life on Earth in the year 2000 and predicted human colonization of space. He also held several patents, including those for a bicycle brake, a vibration separation device, and a pneumatic road-improvement machine. Additionally, he contributed to the development of a turbine engine. Astor IV's personal life was marked by controversy. In 1891, he married Ava Lowle Willing, but the marriage ended in divorce in 1909 due to incompatibility. At the age of 47, he wed Madeleine Talmage Force, who was 30 years his junior, sparking significant social outrage. In 1912, when Madeleine became pregnant, the couple decided to return from Europe to New York and booked passage on the Titanic. The Titanic's maiden voyage on April 15, 1912, ended in tragedy as the ship struck an iceberg and sank in the Atlantic Ocean. Astor IV was among the first to recognize the impending disaster. He assisted his pregnant wife in boarding one of the last lifeboats, while he chose to remain on the ship. Eyewitness accounts describe Astor IV calmly smoking a cigarette on the deck, dressed in formal attire and holding a personalized pocket watch, in the moments before the ship's demise. Tragically, he did not survive, and his body was one of the many lost at sea. Two weeks after the disaster, Astor IV's body was recovered by a Canadian search team near Halifax. His identity was confirmed by the initials on his jacket, and his son, Vincent Astor, traveled to Canada to claim the remains and bring them back to New York for burial. Despite Astor IV's intention for his child with Madeleine to inherit the majority of his estate, most of the wealth was ultimately inherited by Vincent, while Madeleine's son, John Jacob Astor VI, received a smaller share. Vincent later became a notable philanthropist, donating substantial funds to the city of New York. The legacy of John Jacob Astor IV extends far beyond his immense wealth. His contributions to New York's real estate and technological innovations have left a lasting impact on the city. His efforts in building landmark hotels and advancing technology are remembered as significant milestones in New York's development. The Astor family's vast wealth and historical prominence make them one of the most celebrated American dynasties, and Astor IV's life and untimely death add a poignant dimension to this legacy. Astor IV's life has been the subject of numerous depictions in popular culture, most famously in the 1997 film "Titanic," where he was portrayed by Eric Braeden. This historical event serves as a testament to both his personal wealth and his contributions to society, highlighting the enduring influence of the Astor name in American history.