born Dec. 20, 1868, Columbiana, Ohio, U.S.
died Feb. 7, 1938, Miami Beach, Fla.
U.S. industrialist.
Firestone established a retail tire business in 1896 and in 1900 formed a company to sell rubber carriage tires. In 1904 his business began manufacturing automobile tires. Sales to Ford Motor Co. helped put Firestone Tire and Rubber Co. at the top of the U.S. tire industry. Firestone promoted the use of trucks for hauling freight and lobbied for the construction of vast highway systems. He ran his company until 1932, when his son replaced him. Firestone was purchased by Bridgestone Tire Co., a Japanese firm, in 1988.