Jim Kitchen facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jim Kitchen
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| Born | August 15, 1964 |
| Occupation | Entrepreneur and professor |
| Known for | First person to travel to all 193 United Nations recognized countries, deepest part of Challenger deep, and to space |
| Scientific career | |
| Institutions | UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School |
Meet Jim Kitchen, an amazing American entrepreneur and professor! Born on August 15, 1964, he's famous for being the first person to achieve three incredible feats: visiting every single country recognized by the United Nations, traveling to the deepest part of the ocean, and even going to space!
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Jim Kitchen: An Amazing Explorer and Teacher
Jim Kitchen started his very first business in 1985. It was a marketing company that even promoted trips into space, specifically to low Earth orbit. After that, he created an international tour business and several other companies. He also played a big part in helping new businesses grow in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. He helped open places like Launch Chapel Hill and 1789 Venture Lab, which are like special schools for young entrepreneurs.
Teaching Business for Good
In 2010, Jim Kitchen began teaching about entrepreneurship at the Kenan-Flagler Business School at the University of North Carolina. His main goal in teaching is to show students how to make money while also helping others.
In his classes, students learn how to start small businesses. The money they earn from these businesses is then given to charities, like Make-A-Wish and other helpful organizations. His classes have even donated cars to people who were getting back on their feet after being homeless.
Traveling the World
Jim Kitchen started traveling internationally when he was in high school. Over more than 30 years, he visited all 193 countries that are recognized by the United Nations. He reached his 193rd country, Syria, in 2019. He is also a special "Gold Member" of the Travelers' Century Club, which means he has visited 100 or more countries.
Journey to Space
On March 14, 2022, the space company Blue Origin announced that Jim Kitchen would be a crew member on their NS-20 mission. Another famous person, Pete Davidson, was originally supposed to go on this flight but changed his mind. Gary Lai, who designed the New Shepard rocket system, took his place.
On March 31, 2022, Jim Kitchen made history! He became the first person to have visited all 193 U.N. recognized countries and then traveled to space. Many news channels called him the "Modern Day Marco Polo" who went to space, comparing him to the famous explorer.
Deepest Ocean Dive
Just a few months after his space trip, on July 5, 2022, Jim Kitchen went on another incredible journey. He traveled in a special deep-diving submarine called the Limiting Factor. His destination was the bottom of the Mariana Trench, which is the deepest part of the entire ocean!
He reached depths between 10,925 and 10,935 meters (about 35,843 to 35,876 feet). The Mariana Trench is located far out in the Pacific Ocean, about 210 nautical miles southwest of Guam.
See also
- List of people who descended to Challenger Deep
