Origins & Early Life

Charles Lewis Tiffany (February 15, 1812 – February 18, 1902) was an American businessman and jeweler who founded New York City's Tiffany & Co. in 1837. Known for his jewelry expertise, Tiffany created the country's first retail catalog and introduced the English standard of sterling silver in imported jewelry in 1851. Tiffany was born on February 15, 1812, in Killingly, Connecticut, the son of Chloe (Draper) and Comfort Tiffany.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

Tiffany was educated at a district school and an academy in Plainfield, Connecticut. Starting at the age of fifteen, he helped manage a small general store founded by his father, the owner of a cotton-manufacturing company. He later worked at the office of his father's mill. The Tiffany family descended from the immigrant Squire Humphrey Tiffany (England, 1630 – Swansea, Massachusetts, 1685), who had lived in the Massachusetts Bay Colony since 1660. In 1837, with $1,000 borrowed from his father, Tiffany and a school friend, John B.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

Young, set up a small stationery and gift shop in New York City. Their first day in business brought only $4.98 in sales, but two years later they were still in business, selling glassware, porcelain, cutlery, clocks...

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Charles Dickens — Contemporary (Born in 1812) (1812): Master of Victorian literature, Dickens's novels captured the spirit of his age.
• Cochise — Contemporary (Born in 1812) (1812): Noted Apache leader who fiercely resisted American and Mexican intrusions in the 19th century.
• Hugo Kołłątaj — Contemporary (Died in 1812) (1812): Key figure of the Polish Enlightenment, constitutional reformer, and educationalist.
• Abe Saperstein — Contemporary (Born in 1902) (1902): Founder of the Harlem Globetrotters, revolutionized black basketball.
• Alfred Kastler — Contemporary (Born in 1902) (1902): Pioneering physicist known for developing the technique of optical pumping.
• Allen Lane — Contemporary (Born in 1902) (1902): Pioneering British publisher who founded Penguin Books, bringing literature to the masses.
• Abbas ibn Abd al-Muttalib — Shared historical date (02-15 · Died) (653): Paternal uncle and wealthy merchant of the Prophet Muhammad; ancestor of the Abbasid Caliphate.
• Alexander Borodin — Shared historical date (02-15 · Died) (1887): Russian Romantic composer, chemist, and physician known for 'Prince Igor' and symphonies.
• Alessandro Volta — Shared historical date (02-18 · Born) (1745): Pioneering Italian physicist, credited with the electric battery and electrochemistry.
• Barbara Gittings — Shared historical date (02-18 · Died) (2007): Pioneering LGBTQ activist and librarian who fought for visibility and rights.
• 1812 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1812
• February 15 (02-15) On This Day — Historical birthdays and events on February 15
• 1902 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1902
• February 18 (02-18) On This Day — Historical events and memorials on February 18