Thomas Cook: 1808 - 1892

Thomas Cook founded the travel agency that is now the Thomas Cook Group.

Cook's idea to offer excursions came to him while waiting for the stagecoach on the London Road at Kibworth. With the opening of the extended Midland Counties Railway, he arranged to take a group of 570 temperance campaigners from Leicester Campbell Street station to a rally in Loughborough.

In 1841, Cook arranged for the rail company to charge one shilling per person that included rail tickets and food. This was the first privately chartered excursion train to be advertised to the general public.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Cook