11 Facts About Thomas Cook

Thomas Cook was one of the initial developers of the "package tour" including travel, accommodations, and the like.

Thomas Cook was born on 22 November 1808, to John and Elizabeth Cook, who lived at 9 Quick Close in the village of Melbourne, Derbyshire.

At the age of 10, Cook started working as an assistant to a local market gardener on Lord Melbourne's estate.

On 2 March 1833, Thomas Cook married Marianne Mason at the parish church in Barrowden in Rutland.

On 5 July 1841, Thomas Cook escorted around 485 people, who paid one shilling each for the return train journey, on his first excursion.

Thomas Cook was awarded the Serbian Order of Saint Sava.

Thomas Cook acquired business premises on Fleet Street, London in 1865.

Conflicts between father and son were resolved when the son persuaded his father, Thomas Cook, to retire at the end of 1878.

Thomas Cook moved back at Thorncroft, Knighton, Leicester, where he died on 18 July 1892, having been afflicted with blindness in his declining years.

Thomas Cook was a frontrunner of establishing tourism systems and thus made mass tourism possible in Italy.

Second, Thomas Cook designed a series of hotel coupons to complement circular tickets, which could be exchanged for lodging and meals at designated accommodations.