On This Day in 1853

24 September 1853: Cornelius Vanderbilt completed a famous grand tour of Europe and the Mediterranean aboard his 2,000-ton luxury steam yacht, the North Star, returning to New York this day in 1853. The vessel was 270 feet long and celebrated as a floating palace with state-of-the-art amenities. At age 59, the American shipping tycoon took his first major vacation, treating his family to a grand tour of the "Old World" that also functioned as informal public diplomacy.