John D. Chandris (1890–1942) was a Greek shipowner. Chandris was born in

Chios Chios (; el, Χίος, Chíos , traditionally known as Scio in English) is the fifth largest Greek island, situated in the northern Aegean Sea. The island is separated from Turkey by the Chios Strait. Chios is notable for its exports of masti ...

, then part of the

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...

. In 1915, after years of experience in the shipping industry, he bought his first ship, SS ''Dimitrios''. By

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, Chandris' fleet was made up of four ships, including steamships. In 1922, he expanded into the passenger shipping market. Following the outbreak of

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

, Chandris followed the exodus of shipowners from Greece. He moved to England. Chandris ran the cruise lines until he retired in 1939. He died in 1942 at the age of 52 from natural causes. His two sons, Anthony and Dimitri, later rebuilt the company, named

Chandris Line Chandris Line was a Greece-based shipping company founded in 1960 by Anthony Chandris to operate ocean liners between Greece and Australia.#Plowman, Plowman (2006–1). pp. 5–6. Initially the company also traded under the names ''Greek Australia ...

. A partnership called Chandris-Fantasy Cruises started in the early 1980s and later was divided into two separate arms, Fantasy-Cruises and

Celebrity Celebrity is a condition of fame and broad public recognition of a person or group as a result of the attention given to them by mass media. An individual may attain a celebrity status from having great wealth, their participation in sports ...

cruises.

References

1890 births 1942 deaths Businesspeople from Chios Greek businesspeople in shipping 20th-century Greek businesspeople Greek emigrants to the United Kingdom World War II refugees {{Greece-business-bio-stub