John Jacob Astor IV (1864­–1912) was a member of the prominent Astor family and a man who made his mark in many different fields. In literature, he wrote science fiction such as A Journey in Other Worlds; in industry, he invented a bicycle brake and helped develop a turbine engine; and in real estate, he built the Astoria Hotel. Astor’s life was tragically cut short by the sinking of the Titanic in 1912.