Malcom McLean

Article summary

Malcolm "Malcom" Purcell McLean (November 14, 1913 – May 25, 2001) was an American businessman who invented the modern intermodal shipping container, which revolutionized transport and international trade during the second half of the twentieth century. Containerization resulted in a major reduction of the cost of freight transportation by eliminating the need for repeated, labor-intensive handling of individual pieces of cargo, and also improved three-dimensional packing capability, reduced damage and cargo theft, and decreased inventory costs by shortening transit time. Containerization is a major enabler of globalization.

Key claims

1. date of birth: 1913 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95
2. date of death: 2001-05-25 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95
3. date of foundation: 1992 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95

Discussion questions

1. Summarise the article in your own words. Which single claim would you verify first, and why?
2. The record states that the date of birth is "1913". What evidence would count against this claim?
3. The record states that the date of death is "2001-05-25". What evidence would count against this claim?
4. The record states that the date of foundation is "1992". What evidence would count against this claim?
5. Which claim in this article is most likely to be revised as the sources update? How would you check its current status?
6. If two sources disagreed about one of these facts, what would you need in order to trust one over the other?

Bibliography

1. Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1374374586