Page 22 - All About History - Issue 33-15

Trade

Hall of Fame

TRADINGTRAILBLAZERS

From the dawn of mankind, humanity has been concerned with improving its

lot, with trade and commerce being its means for this. From setting up trade
routes to making the internet profitable, here are ten pivotal pioneers

JOHN MAYNARD KEYNES ELON MUSK
SOUTH AFRICAN 1971-PRESENT
BRITISH 1883-1946 Although he is responsible for a great many
Widely recognised business ventures going beyond trade and
as one of the commerce – such as Space Exploration
most influential Technologies Corp, responsible for resupplying the
economists of International Space Station – his relevance here
the 20th century, is because of his invention of the PayPal online
Keynes – alongside payment system in 1999 (originally known as
his American X.com, renamed PayPal in 2001). Ultimately, after
Zhang Qian is best counterpart Harry being purchased by eBay for $1.5 billion, it would
remembered for Dexter White – go on to become the standard for online payment
ZHANG QIAN mapping the Silk Road played a pivotal around the world. Musk is responsible for
role in establishing
CHINESE 200 BCE – 114 BCE It was under Keynes’ the Bretton Woods setting up the PayPal
payment system
A diplomat and official during the time of China’s guidance that the Bretton system in 1946.
Han dynasty, Qian was largely responsible for Woods system was This was put
implemented
mapping the routes of the Silk Road, a huge trade into place as a
network that connected the country with India, reaction to World War II in an attempt to avoid
Africa and parts of Europe. Having been sent any more depressions like the ones that had
out in 138 BCE by Emperor Wudi to map central played a role in the lead up to the conflict. In the
Asia, he achieved his mission despite being Bretton Woods Conference of 1944, the outcome
imprisoned for ten years. In the years following included the establishment of the International
this, he documented much information on India Bank For Reconstruction And Development
– as well as doing so second hand with places like (which offers loans to developing countries) and
Uzbekistan and Afghanistan – all of which greatly the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
contributed to China’s future prosperity.
JOHN CABOT
Cabot was the first
European to explore ITALIAN 1450-99/1500
North America since
the Vikings Also known as Giovanni Caboto, Cabot’s
explorationofNorthAmericahasledtohimbeing
recognised as the first European to do so since the
Vikings hundreds of years earlier. Having reached
Newfoundland in 1497, he
subsequently mapped the
island and large parts Musk has
of the continent’s declared his
coast. His discovery
paved the way admiration for British
for many more PM Margaret Thatcher,
to follow his lead
and set up various describing her as
trade routes, as well “tough but sensible
as establishing the and fair”
viabilityofsettling
in America.

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