It is a time period that is still easily referenced today. Indeed, many individuals in the older generation suffered as a result and continue today with their aggressive savings habits developed during this event. Personally, my grandmother still keeps a cabinet full of food that she will never eat, it's just stored away "just in case." Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Of course I'm talking about the Great Depression. This was a time in American history when absolutely nothing could go right. The economic crisis of the 1930s is one of the most studied periods in American history, and scholars have truly studied the economic calamity from multiple perspectives. It is undeniable that these events truly had a negative impact on the American population and would change our future. From 1929 to 1932, the average American family income decreased by 40%. It was a very hard time. However, one man seemed unchanged during this time. His name was John D. Rockefeller Jr. He was the only son among the five children of the famous Standard Oil co-founder John D. Rockefeller Sr. and the father of the five famous Rockefeller brothers. He was known to be scrupulously careful with money, and thus stood out from the sons of other rich men. After graduating from Brown University, Rockefeller naturally joined his father's business in 1897, setting up operations in the family office at 26 Broadway. He would eventually become a director of both Standard Oil and J.P. Morgan's U.S. Steel, founded in 1901. Ultimately, however, Rockefeller Junior resigned from both companies in 1910 in an effort to "purify" his ongoing philanthropy from business activities and marketing. financial interests. From here he would begin his lifelong work as a philanthropist. I mentioned the Great Depression above because, although John D. Rockefeller Jr. spent much of his life engaged in philanthropy, his signature business venture was the creation of the "city within a city." . Built during the worst years of the Great Depression, the project employed over 40,000 people, providing light to some citizens who were completely engulfed in darkness. The development team really thought they were providing a good service to their community. When it opened in May 1933, it was undoubtedly one of the greatest construction exhibitions of its time. The massive development is pictured on the right. The Rockefeller website describes the impact and creation of Rockefeller Center in the 1930s: During its first decade, the complex bustled with interesting tenants such as the French bookstore, Librairie de France, and the brand new publication News-Week. Throughout the 1930s, Rockefeller Center steadily improved, including some accidental innovations such as the Christmas tree tradition in 1931 and the skating rink in 1936. By 1939, more than 125,000 people visited Rockefeller Center daily; alone, it would have been the 51st largest city in the United States (New York Attractions). Rockefeller Center also played a role in the entertainment industry: John Hay Whitney and David O. Selznick decided to produce Gone with the Wind at this site. The founder of Rockefeller Center, John D. Rockefeller, died in the early 1960, but his ideas and vision for Rockefeller Center continued their operations to align with the philanthropic ways Rockefeller envisioned. Later that decade, as the Cold War intensified, Rockefeller Center began a shelter program and stocked its basements with supplies.