March 05

David Dunbar Buick (1854–1929) began his career as a plumbing inventor, pioneering innovations in pipe and plumbing technology. In 1903, he founded the Buick Motor Company, which became a cornerstone of the American automotive industry. Buick developed the overhead valve engine design, setting new standards for performance and reliability. Despite financial struggles, his early patents and designs laid the groundwork for General Motors' success. Buick's engineering prowess helped popularize the automobile in the United States. He died in relative obscurity, but his name lives on in one of the world's oldest automobile marques, celebrated for luxury and durability.

Born in 1888 near Uman in the Russian Empire, Sol Hurok emigrated to the United States in 1906 and studied at Columbia University. He launched his career by organizing small concerts in New York before founding his own agency, Sol Hurok Presents. Over five decades, Hurok introduced American audiences to icons like Anna Pavlova, Maria Callas, and the Bolshoi Ballet. He navigated political tensions during the Cold War to arrange historic tours of Soviet artists, fostering cultural diplomacy. Hurok's vision expanded access to classical music, dance, and opera across the country, from major cities to remote towns. Awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1970, he reshaped the American performing arts landscape. His legacy endures in the thousands of performances he made possible.