9. John Augustus Roebling, born June 12, 1806, under the sign of Gemini
Those born under the sign of Gemini are supposedly endowed with communication skills, with twin natures. Connecting with people is their skill. They are also optimistic and creative. So, it is interesting to consider the career of John Augustus Roebling. Roebling spent his professional life connecting people by building bridges. He designed and built several, some of which still stand and serve their communities. He also completed most of the design of the Brooklyn Bridge before his untimely death from a construction site injury. The bridge was completed by his son, Washington, at the cost of his health. Before he built bridges, Roebling manufactured wire rope to support them.
In 1849 Roebling built a suspended aqueduct across the Delaware River. It was later converted to vehicular traffic and still stands. In 1855 he completed a bridge spanning the Niagara River. 1859 saw the completion of a bridge across the Allegheny River at Pittsburgh. Modern transportation needs rendered it archaic and it was demolished in the 1890s. The John A. Roebling Suspension Bridge connecting Cincinnati and Covington, Kentucky was begun in 1857. Construction was halted by the Civil War, resumed in 1863, and the bridge was completed in 1866. It still carries vehicle traffic and pedestrians across the Ohio River over a century and a half later.