December 19

James McGill was born in Glasgow in 1744 and emigrated to Canada in 1766. He built a successful fur trading and banking empire in Montreal, acquiring extensive land holdings. Elected to the Legislative Council of Lower Canada, he was active in public affairs. In his 1813 will, McGill donated his estate to establish a college that opened in 1821. McGill University became one of Canada's premier institutions of higher education. He died later in 1813, but his philanthropic vision endures through the university bearing his name.

Born in 1856 in Wismar, Rudolph Karstadt opened his first retail store in his hometown, laying the foundation for what would become one of Germany's most successful department store chains. He pioneered fixed low pricing and a broad selection of goods under one roof. Over the following decades, Karstadt expanded into major cities across Germany, transforming the shopping landscape. His innovative retail strategies and focus on customer experience set new industry standards. Today, the Karstadt brand remains a testament to his entrepreneurial vision.

Masaru Ibuka (1908–1997) was a Japanese engineer and visionary entrepreneur. After studying physics at the University of Tokyo, he partnered with Akio Morita in 1946 to found Tokyo Tsushin Kogyo, later renamed Sony. Under his leadership, Sony launched groundbreaking products such as the TR-55 transistor radio and the Walkman. Ibuka championed research and development, fostering a culture of innovation within the company. He served as Sony's president and later chairman, guiding its expansion into a global brand. Beyond business, he advocated for education and technology's role in society, authoring several books. He died in 1997, remembered as a pioneer who shaped the modern electronics industry.

Peter Carter-Ruck (1914–2003) was a distinguished English solicitor who founded the firm Carter-Ruck in 1982, specializing in defamation and media law. Educated at the University of Oxford, he built a reputation for skillfully representing clients in high-stakes libel and privacy cases. Carter-Ruck's firm became a leading authority on reputation management, advising politicians, celebrities, and corporations. His strategic approach to defamation law shaped legal practice and media relations in the UK. Beyond his legal work, he lectured on media ethics and contributed to legal scholarship. Although he maintained a low personal profile, his impact on UK libel law was profound. Today, the firm Carter-Ruck continues his legacy as a premier defamation specialist.