Hamish Harding: Difference between revisions - Wikipedia

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{{Infobox person

| name = Hamish Harding

| image = HamishhardingHamish Harding.jpgwebp

| alt =

| caption = HardingOfficial in[[Blue Origin]] portrait, 2022

| birth_name = {{nowrap|George Hamish Livingston Harding}}

| birth_date = {{Birth date|1964|06|24|df=y}}

| birth_place = {{nowrap|[[Hammersmith, London]], United Kingdom}}

| death_date = {{Death date and age|2023|06|18|1964|06|24|df=y}}

| death_place = North Atlantic Ocean<br />(near the [[wreck of the Titanic|wreck of the ''Titanic'']])

| death_cause = [[Titan submersible implosion| Implosion of ''Titan'' submersible]]

| education = [[The King's School, Gloucester|The King's School]], [[Gloucester]]

| alma_mater = [[Pembroke College, Cambridge]] ([[Bachelor of Arts|BA]], [[Master of Arts (Oxford, Cambridge, and Dublin)|MA]])

| known_for = Crew pilot for the record-breaking flight mission One More Orbit, July 2019

| spouse = Linda Harding

| occupation = {{hlist|Businessman|aviatorAviator|explorerExplorer}}

| children = 42

}}

'''George Hamish Livingston Harding''' (24 June 1964 – 18 June 2023) was a British businessman, pilot, and adventurer based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). He was the founder of Action Group and was chairman of Action Aviation, an international aircraft brokerage company with headquarters in [[Dubai]]. A member of [[The Explorers Club]], he visited the [[South Pole]] several times, descended to the [[Challenger Deep]] of the [[Mariana Trench]], [[space tourism|travelled into space]], and held three [[Guinness World Records]].

Harding died with four others inside the [[Titan (submersible)|''Titan'' submersible]] that [[Titan submersible implosion|imploded]] in the North [[Atlantic Ocean]] while en route to view the [[Wreck of the Titanic|wreck of the ''Titanic'']].

==Early life and education==

George Hamish Livingston Harding was born in [[Hammersmith|Hammersmith, London]], on 24 June 1964. He spent his early childhood in [[Hong Kong]], then a [[Crown Colony]], and was inspired by the [[Apollo 11]] landing while watching the event on TV with his parents in 1969.<ref name="NYT-Obit" /> He was educated at [[The King's School, Gloucester|The King's School]], an independent day school in the city of [[Gloucester]] in South West England from 1975 to 1982.<ref name="Gloucester1">{{cite web |url=https://www.gloucestershirelive.co.uk/news/gloucester-news/kings-school-pays-tribute-hamish-8548047 |title=The King's School pays tribute to Hamish Harding, former pupil who died in Titanic sub incident |work=[[Gloucestershire Echo]] |first=Phil |last=Norris |date=23 June 2023 |accessdate=22 June 2023 |archive-date=24 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230624053823/https://www.gloucestershirelive.co.uk/news/gloucester-news/kings-school-pays-tribute-hamish-8548047|url-status=live}}</ref> At 13, he joined the [[Air Training Corps]], a youth organization sponsored by the [[Royal Air Force]], and flew [[de Havilland Canada DHC-1 Chipmunk|Chipmunk aeroplanes]].<ref name="NYT-Obit">{{Cite news |last1=Williams|first1=Alex|date=June 22, 2023 |title=Hamish Harding, an Explorer Who Knew No Bounds, Dies at 58 |work=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/22/us/hamish-harding-dead.html |url-status=live |url-access=subscription |access-date=June 22, 2023 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20230622200055/https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/22/us/hamish-harding-dead.html |archive-date=June 22, 2023}}</ref><ref name="Gloucester1" /> He was then educated at [[The King's School, Gloucester|The King's School]], an independent day school in the city of [[Gloucester]] in South West England from 1975 to 1982.<ref name="Gloucester1">{{cite web|url=https://www.gloucestershirelive.co.uk/news/gloucester-news/kings-school-pays-tribute-hamish-8548047|title=The King's School pays tribute to Hamish Harding, former pupil who died in Titanic sub incident|work=[[Gloucestershire Echo]]|author=Phil Norris|date=23 June 2023|accessdate=22 June 2023|archive-date=24 June 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230624053823/https://www.gloucestershirelive.co.uk/news/gloucester-news/kings-school-pays-tribute-hamish-8548047|url-status=live}}</ref> He earned his pilot licence in 1985 while attending [[Pembroke College, Cambridge]].<ref name="NYT-Obit" /> He was a graduate of Cambridge University with a degree in [[Natural Sciences (Cambridge)|Natural Sciences]] and a post-graduate degree in [[Chemical Engineering]].<ref name="NASA"/>

==Career and adventures==

{{Expand section|with=Information about how he became wealthy|date=June 2023}}

In the 1990s, Harding worked in the [[information technology]] industry. He helped establish [[Logica]] Middle East in Dubai and Saudi Arabia, as well as serving as the Managing Director of [[Logica]] India until he founded the private [[investment company]] Action Group in 1999. In 20022004, he founded the aviation[[business jet]] brokerage company Action Aviation.<ref>🖉{{Cite web|url=https://www.blueorigin.com/news/new-shepard-ns-21-mission-announcement|title=NS-21 to Fly Six Customer Astronauts, Including First Mexican-Born Woman to Visit Space|website=Blue Origin}}</ref><ref name="NYT-Obit" />

Harding worked with an Antarctic VIP tourism company, [[White Desert (company)|White Desert]], using a [[Gulfstream G550]] to introduce the first regular business jet service to the Antarctic.<ref name="Guardian1">{{cite news |last1=Ambrose |first1=Tom |title=Hamish Harding: the British explorer missing at sea near the Titanic |url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/jun/19/hamish-harding-the-british-explorer-missing-at-sea-near-the-titanic |access-date=26 June 2023 |work=[[The Guardian]] |date=19 June 2023 |archive-date=19 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230619231333/https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/jun/19/hamish-harding-the-british-explorer-missing-at-sea-near-the-titanic |url-status=live }}</ref> Harding also visited the [[South Pole]] several times; he accompanied [[Buzz Aldrin]] in 2016 when he became the oldest person to reach the South Pole (age 86) and his son when he became the youngest (12).<ref name="NYT-Obit" />

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Between 9 and 11 July 2019, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the [[Apollo 11]] Moon landing, Harding, along with [[Terry W. Virts|Terry Virts]], led a team of aviators that took the [[Guinness World Record]] for a [[circumnavigation of the Earth]] via the North and South Poles in a [[Gulfstream G650/G700/G800|Gulfstream G650ER]] in 46 hours and 40 minutes. The One More Orbit mission launched and landed at the Shuttle Landing Facility (Space Florida) at [[NASA]] [[Kennedy Space Center]] in the United States.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.aviationpros.com/aircraft/business-general-aviation/press-release/21088449/hamish-harding-terry-virts-and-qatar-executive-smash-world-circumnavigation-speed-record|title=Hamish Harding, Terry Virts and Qatar Executive Smash World Circumnavigation Speed Record|website=aviationpros.com|date=15 July 2019|access-date=5 May 2022|archive-date=29 May 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220529015829/https://www.aviationpros.com/aircraft/business-general-aviation/press-release/21088449/hamish-harding-terry-virts-and-qatar-executive-smash-world-circumnavigation-speed-record|url-status=live}}</ref>

On 5 March 2021, Harding and [[Victor Vescovo]] dived to the deepest point of the [[Mariana Trench]], the [[Challenger Deep]], at a depth of approximately 11,000 m (36,000 feet), in the two-person [[deep-submergence vehicle]] [[DSV Limiting Factor]], setting the [[Guinness World Record]]s for greatest distance covered at full ocean depth and greatest time spent at full ocean depth.<ref>{{Cite web |first=Anjuly |last=Mathai |url=https://www.theweek.in/theweek/leisure/2021/07/15/british-explorer-hamish-harding-on-his-journey-to-the-deepest-point-on-earth.html |title=British explorer Hamish Harding on his journey to the deepest point on earth |website=[[The Week (Indian magazine)|The Week]] |access-date=5 May 2022 |archive-date=5 May 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220505091237/https://www.theweek.in/theweek/leisure/2021/07/15/british-explorer-hamish-harding-on-his-journey-to-the-deepest-point-on-earth.html |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="2Records">{{Cite web |last=Millward |first=Adam |url=https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/news/2021/12/earths-tallest-mountain-mauna-kea-ascended-for-the-first-time-687258 |title=Earth's tallest mountain, Mauna Kea, ascended for the first time |date=December 29, 2021 |website=Guinness World Records |access-date=5 May 2022 |archive-date=5 May 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220505093501/https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/news/2021/12/earths-tallest-mountain-mauna-kea-ascended-for-the-first-time-687258 |url-status=live}}</ref> His 13-year-old son accompanied the mission on the surface support ship [[DSSV Pressure Drop]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.gulftoday.ae/news/2021/03/04/dubai-resident-to-dive-to-ocean-deepest-point-to-study-marine-life-impact-of-pollution|title=Video: Dubai resident Hamish Harding to dive to ocean's deepest point to study marine life, impact of pollution|website=www.gulftoday.ae|access-date=5 May 2022|archive-date=5 May 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220505091237/https://www.gulftoday.ae/news/2021/03/04/dubai-resident-to-dive-to-ocean-deepest-point-to-study-marine-life-impact-of-pollution|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.khaleejtimes.com/interviews/hamish-harding-on-his-journey-to-the-earths-deepest-point-and-back|title=Hamish Harding on his journey to the Earth's deepest point and back|first=Saman|last=Haziq|website=Khaleej Times|access-date=5 May 2022|archive-date=25 May 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220525162001/https://www.khaleejtimes.com/interviews/hamish-harding-on-his-journey-to-the-earths-deepest-point-and-back|url-status=live}}</ref>

Harding flew to space as part of the suborbital [[Blue Origin NS-21]] mission, on 4 June 2022, on the fifth crewed spaceflight of the [[New Shepard]] rocket.<ref name="NASA">{{cite web |last=Davenport |first=Justin |url=https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2022/06/ns-21-launch/ | title=Blue Origin launches NS-21 suborbital flight with six passengers | date=4 June 2022 | access-date=12 July 2022 | archive-date=28 September 2022 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220928220458/https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2022/06/ns-21-launch/ | url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.khaleejtimes.com/uae/uae-adventurer-hamish-harding-rockets-to-space-on-blue-origin-flight|title=Watch: UAE adventurer in space on Blue Origin flight|website=Khaleej Times|access-date=27 June 2022|archive-date=27 June 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220627083151/https://www.khaleejtimes.com/uae/uae-adventurer-hamish-harding-rockets-to-space-on-blue-origin-flight|url-status=live}}</ref> After travelling to space, he advocated for [[space tourists]] (paid recreational spaceflight passengers) to be called [[astronauts]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.thenationalnews.com/uae/2022/06/13/flat-earthers-should-get-a-first-class-ticket-for-blue-origin-says-uae-space-tourist/|title=Flat-Earthers should get a first-class ticket for Blue Origin, says UAE space tourist|first=Sarwat|last=Nasir|date=June 13, 2022|website=The National|access-date=28 June 2022|archive-date=28 June 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220628042852/https://www.thenationalnews.com/uae/2022/06/13/flat-earthers-should-get-a-first-class-ticket-for-blue-origin-says-uae-space-tourist/|url-status=live}}</ref> He also advocated for the [[United Arab Emirates]] to expand its [[United Arab Emirates Space Agency|space programme]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.khaleejtimes.com/uae/uae-meet-the-expat-who-is-getting-ready-to-take-off-on-blue-origins-spaceflight|title=UAE: Meet the expat preparing to take off on Blue Origin's spaceflight|first=Nandini|last=Sircar|website=Khaleej Times|access-date=28 June 2022|archive-date=28 June 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220628042308/https://www.khaleejtimes.com/uae/uae-meet-the-expat-who-is-getting-ready-to-take-off-on-blue-origins-spaceflight|url-status=live}}</ref>

In September 2022, Harding's company Action Aviation supplied a customised [[Boeing 747-400]] aircraft to transport eight wild cheetahs from Namibia to India to launch the [[Cheetah reintroduction in India|reintroduction of the cheetah to India]] project of the Indian Government and the [[Cheetah Conservation Fund|Cheetah Conservation Fund in Namibia (CCF)]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.indiatoday.in/india-today-insight/story/why-details-of-the-cheetahs-coming-to-india-are-crucial-for-success-of-the-introduction-programme-2000520-2022-09-15|title=Why details of the cheetahs coming to India are crucial for success of the introduction programme|website=India Today|date=15 September 2022 |access-date=28 September 2022|archive-date=28 September 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220928063729/https://www.indiatoday.in/india-today-insight/story/why-details-of-the-cheetahs-coming-to-india-are-crucial-for-success-of-the-introduction-programme-2000520-2022-09-15|url-status=live}}</ref> Cheetahs were declared extinct in India in 1952.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2022/09/17/world/cheetahs-india-namibia-reintroduction-scn-trnd/index.html |title=8 cheetahs arrive to India from Namibia as part of reintroduction project |date=17 September 2022 |access-date=28 September 2022 |archive-date=28 September 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220928063529/https://edition.cnn.com/2022/09/17/world/cheetahs-india-namibia-reintroduction-scn-trnd/index.html |url-status=live }}</ref> This conservation project was designated a "flagged expedition" by the [[The Explorers Club|Explorers Club]] with club members Harding and [[Laurie Marker]], founder of the CCF, carrying the flag on the flight to India.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.news18.com/news/india/in-customised-jumbo-jet-8-wild-cheetahs-from-namibia-are-coming-to-india-for-historic-translocation-5955481.html|title=In Jumbo Jet, 8 Wild Cheetahs from Namibia are Coming to India for Historic Translocation|website=News18|date=14 September 2022|access-date=21 June 2023|archive-date=22 March 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230322094431/https://www.news18.com/news/india/in-customised-jumbo-jet-8-wild-cheetahs-from-namibia-are-coming-to-india-for-historic-translocation-5955481.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

==''Titan'' expedition and death==

{{main|Titan submersible implosion|l1=''Titan'' submersible implosion}}

Harding was onboardon board the ''[[Titan (submersible)|Titan]]'', a vessel owned by [[OceanGate, Inc.]], to view the [[Wreck of the Titanic|''Titanic'' wreckage]], when the vessel lost contact with the above-water ship, {{MV|Polar Prince}}, on 18 June 2023.<ref name="SkyNews22">{{Cite web |date=19 June 2023 |title=What we know about the passengers on board missing Titanic submersible |url=https://news.sky.com/story/what-we-know-about-the-passengers-on-board-missing-titanic-submersible-12905596 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230619223319/https://news.sky.com/story/what-we-know-about-the-passengers-on-board-missing-titanic-submersible-12905596 |archive-date=19 June 2023 |access-date=20 June 2023 |website=[[Sky News]] |language=en}}</ref> Search-and-rescue missions involved water and air support from the United States, Canada and France.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Henley |first1=Jon |date=June 21, 2023 |title=Titanic sub live updates: vessel may have less than 20 hours of oxygen left, says US Coast Guard, as search continues |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2023/jun/21/titanic-sub-live-updates-search-us-coast-guard-submarine-submersible |access-date=June 21, 2023}}</ref>

On 22 June, two days before what would have been Harding’sHarding's 59th birthday, a debris field was discovered approximately {{convert|1,600|ft|order=flip}} from the bow of the ''Titanic''. A [[United States Coast Guard]] press conference later confirmed that the debris was consistent with a catastrophic loss of the pressure hull, resulting in an [[implosion (mechanical process)|implosion]] and the instant death of all on board.<ref>[https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-65955554 Hamish Harding, Shahzada Dawood and son Suleman: Who is on board Titanic sub?] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230619230335/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-65955554 |date=19 June 2023 }}, BBC</ref>

==Personal life==

Harding was married to his wife Linda and he had two sons and two stepchildren. He lived in [[Dubai]] with his family.<ref name="independent">{{cite web |last=Ng |first=Ellie |title=Who is missing British billionaire Hamish Harding? |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/buzz-aldrin-linda-british-world-south-pole-b2360695.html |website=The Independent |access-date=20 June 2023 |language=en |date=20 June 2023 |archive-date=20 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230620144510/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/buzz-aldrin-linda-british-world-south-pole-b2360695.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Awards and recognition==

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[[Category:New Shepard passengers]]

[[Category:People educated at The King's School, Gloucester]]

[[Category:Businesspeople from HammersmithLondon]]

[[Category:People from Hammersmith]]

[[Category:People who have flown in suborbital spaceflight]]

[[Category:Royal Air Force Air Cadets]]