John D. Rockefeller

Table of Contents

Introduction & Top Questions References & Edit History Quick Facts & Related Topics

Images & Videos

How the world's first oil pipeline was built

John D. Rockefeller and his son, John D. Rockefeller, Jr.

For Students

John D. Rockefeller summary

John D. Rockefeller Timeline

John D. Rockefeller’s Achievements

Discover

Queen Elizabeth II addresses at opening of Parliament. (Date unknown on photo, but may be 1958, the first time the opening of Parliament was filmed.)

All 119 References in “We Didn’t Start the Fire,” Explained

Solar Eclipse, Eclipse, Solar Flare, Outer Space, Astronomy

What Causes Lunar and Solar Eclipses?

Periodical Cicada, Adult, Magicicada spp. Requires 17 years to complete development. Nymph splits its skin, and transforms into an adult. Feeds on sap of tree roots. Northern Illinois Brood. This brood is the largest emergence of cicadas anywhere

Why Do Some Cicadas Appear Only Every 17 Years?

Artist interpretation of a Space meteoroid impact. Meteor impact. Asteroid, End of the world, danger, destruction, dinosaur extinct, Judgement Day, Planet Earth, Doomsday Predictions, comet

10 Failed Doomsday Predictions

Albert Einstein in Washington, D.C. c. 1921-1923. Physicist

The Solar Eclipse That Made Albert Einstein a Science Celebrity

The Sun Was Eaten: 6 Ways Cultures Have Explained Eclipses

VAN, TURKEY - OCTOBER 25: A building and car ruined during the earthquake of Van-Ercis on October 25, 2011 in Van, Turkey. It is 604 killed and 4152 injured in Van-Ercis Earthquake.

What Is an Aftershock?

History & Society

John D. Rockefeller

Q: How did John D. Rockefeller get famous?

John D. Rockefeller’s Standard Oil Company acquired pipelines and terminal facilities, purchased competing refineries, and vigorously sought to expand its markets. Those practices enabled the company to negotiate with railroads for favoured rates on its shipments of oil . By 1882 Standard Oil had a near monopoly on the oil business in the United States .

Q: What were John D. Rockefeller’s accomplishments?

John D. Rockefeller founded the Standard Oil Company , which dominated the oil industry and was the first great U.S. business trust . Later in life he turned his attention to charity. He made possible the founding of the University of Chicago and endowed major philanthropic institutions . Rockefeller’s benefactions during his lifetime totaled more than $500 million.

Q: What was John D. Rockefeller remembered for?

John D. Rockefeller was remembered for his wealth and for the aggressive competitive practices of the Standard Oil Company . Public hostility toward monopolies , of which Standard was the best known, caused some countries to enact anti-monopoly laws . For these reasons, Rockefeller and other heads of monopolistic companies were called robber barons by their critics.

American industrialist

Also known as: John Davison Rockefeller

Written and fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last Updated: Apr 4, 2024 • Article History

John D. Rockefeller

See all media

Category: History & Society

In full:: John Davison Rockefeller

Born:: July 8, 1839, Richford, New York, U.S.

Died:: May 23, 1937, Ormond Beach, Florida (aged 97)

Founder:: Standard Oil; Laura Spelman Rockefeller Memorial

Notable Family Members:: spouse Laura Spelman Rockefeller; son Nelson Rockefeller; son John D. Rockefeller, Jr.; brother William Rockefeller

On the Web:: Foundation for Economic Education - Why John D. Rockefeller is a Hero Worth Celebrating, Not a Villain (Mar. 29, 2024)

See all related content →

How did John D. Rockefeller get famous?

What were John D. Rockefeller’s accomplishments?

What was John D. Rockefeller remembered for?

John D. Rockefeller (born July 8, 1839, Richford, New York, U.S.—died May 23, 1937, Ormond Beach, Florida) was an American industrialist and philanthropist, founder of the Standard Oil Company, which dominated the oil industry and was the first great U.S. business trust. He is the major historical figure behind the famed Rockefeller family and widely considered the richest American and biggest philanthropist in history. Rockefeller was the eldest son and second of six children born to traveling physician and snake-oil salesman William (“Big Bill”) Avery Rockefeller and Eliza Davison Rockefeller. He moved with his family to Moravia, New York, and, ...(100 of 650 words)

Access the full article

Help support true facts by becoming a member.