George Eastman

12 July 1854 – 14 March 1932

George Eastman was an American entrepreneur and inventor who founded the Eastman Kodak Company and popularized roll film, bringing photography to the general public. He was also one of the great philanthropists of his era, giving away most of his fortune to universities, medical and dental clinics, and cultural institutions.

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Life events

Born in Waterville, New York
12 July 1854

George Eastman was the youngest child of George Washington Eastman and Maria Kilbourn.

Source: en.wikipedia.org
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Family moved to Rochester, New York
1860

The Eastmans relocated to Rochester, where his father died two years later, leaving the family in financial hardship.

Source: en.wikipedia.org
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Left school to work, eventually becoming a bank clerk
1868

Eastman left formal schooling at 14 to support his family, working for an insurance firm and then the Rochester Savings Bank.

Source: en.wikipedia.org
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Patented a dry-plate coating machine and began photographic manufacturing
1880

Eastman developed a machine for mass-producing gelatin dry plates, the basis of his entry into the photography business.

Source: en.wikipedia.org
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Co-founded the Eastman Dry Plate Company with Henry A. Strong
1881

The Rochester firm was the forerunner of the Eastman Kodak Company, incorporated under that name in 1892.

Source: en.wikipedia.org
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Introduced the Kodak camera
1888

The simple roll-film Kodak camera, sold with the slogan 'You press the button, we do the rest,' made photography accessible to amateurs.

Source: en.wikipedia.org
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Launched the one-dollar Brownie camera
February 1900

The inexpensive Brownie put photography within reach of nearly everyone, including children.

Source: en.wikipedia.org
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Made landmark philanthropic gifts to MIT, the University of Rochester, and others
c. 1912 – 1932

Eastman donated tens of millions of dollars, funding MIT's new campus, the Eastman School of Music, medical and dental clinics, and the Tuskegee and Hampton institutes.

Source: en.wikipedia.org
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Died in Rochester, New York
14 March 1932

Suffering from a painful degenerative spinal condition, Eastman died by suicide at his home at the age of 77.

Source: en.wikipedia.org
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