The Lazarus Straus family

1809 birth of Lazarus Straus

1845 birth of son Isidor

1848 birth of son Nathan

1850 birth of son Oscar Salomon

1852 The prosperous Lazarus Straus, dissatisfied with the political situation in Germany and disappointed by various inheritance problems, decides to emigrate to the USA from Otterberg/Palatinate.

1854 He has his wife Sara and the four children follow him over. He opens a glass and porcelain business in New York, His sons Isidor and Nathan work with him in the business; Lazarus and later Nathan Straus become shareholders in Macy's, the largest department store in the USA.

1887 President Cleveland appoints Oscar Salomon emissary to the Sublime Porte

1894 Isidor is elected as a democrat to the House of Representatives and becomes vice president of the New York chamber of commerce

1898 Lazarus Straus dies in New York

1906–1909 Oscar Salomon becomes Minister of Trade and Labor under President Roosevelt, and also the first ever Jewish cabinet member

1907 Nathan becomes an internationally renowned health politician and, as president of the New York Health Commission, takes a special interest in matters relating to hygiene.
As an adherent of Zionism he is elected president of the American Jewish Congress several times over.

1912 Isidor Straus and his wife Ida die in the "Titanic" disaster.

1919 Oscar Salomon Straus takes part in the Versailles peace negotiations and the foundation of the League of Nations at the side of President Wilson.
He is co-founder of the "American Jewish Society"

1926 Oscar Salomon Straus dies. A monument to him, designed in 1926, is officially unveiled in 1947 in Washington.