Henry Ford was born on July 30, 1863, on a farm in Greenfield Township, Michigan.¹⁾

He was the oldest of six children born to William Ford and Mary Litogot Ford.²⁾

Ford showed an early interest in mechanics, often dismantling and reassembling watches and other small machines as a child.³⁾

At the age of 16, Ford left home to work as an apprentice machinist in Detroit.⁴⁾

Ford's first major success came with the establishment of the Ford Motor Company on June 16, 1903.⁵⁾

The Model T, introduced in 1908, revolutionized transportation by making cars affordable to the average American.⁶⁾

Ford's introduction of the moving assembly line in 1913 dramatically increased efficiency and reduced production costs.⁷⁾

He implemented a $5 daily wage for his workers in 1914, doubling the prevailing wage at the time, to reduce turnover and increase productivity.⁸⁾

Ford's concept of “Fordism” emphasized mass production, standardization, and efficiency, influencing manufacturing practices worldwide.⁹⁾

In 1915, Ford founded Fordson, a subsidiary to produce tractors, which became highly successful.¹⁰⁾

Henry Ford was an advocate for peace and opposed World War I, even funding a peace ship, the SS Oscar II, to try to end the conflict.¹¹⁾

He had a strong interest in aviation and established the Ford Airplane Company in 1925, producing the Ford Trimotor, nicknamed the “Tin Goose.”¹²⁾

Ford was an early proponent of soybeans as a versatile agricultural product, using them in manufacturing plastics, paints, and even car parts.¹³⁾

Ford was a prolific inventor, holding over 160 patents, including ones for improvements to the assembly line and automobile design.¹⁴⁾

He purchased a large tract of land in the Amazon rainforest in 1927, intending to create a rubber plantation, but the project ultimately failed.¹⁵⁾