Jim Kirby

James B. Kirby (September 28, 1884 – June 9, 1971) was a Scottish inventor who moved to America and is known mostly for inventing the Kirby vacuum cleaner.

His father was a Great Lakes marine engineer. Kirby grew up in Cleveland's southwest side on Marvin Avenue. He claims that he got his start early by attending electricity and magic classes at the YMCA While attending Lincoln High School he worked as a lamplighter, where he walked up and down Scranton road and Denison avenue lighting and snuffing out the street lights for which he earned $16.50 a month. He would often also go to downtown Cleveland and "stuff" newspapers for a dollar a night. He invented his first vacuum cleaner, called the Domestic Cyclone, in 1906, which was a hand-powered canister cleaner that used a water filtration system. Jim Kirby lived most of his adult life on his farm near Richfield, Ohio, about 28 miles south of Cleveland.

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Jim Kirby (baseball)

James Herschel Kirby (May 5, 1923 – July 17, 2009) was a pinch-hitter in Major League Baseball who played for the Chicago Cubs during the 1949 season. Listed at 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m), 175 lb., Kirby batted and threw right-handed. He was born in Nashville, Tennessee.

Kirby began his career in the minor leagues in 1942, but missed the next three years due to military service. Returning to baseball action in 1946 he played until 1958, compiling 13 years of Post-World War II, including another nine and a half seasons after being drafted by the Cubs in the 1948 rule 5 draft.

In three major league games, Kirby had one hit in two at-bats for a .500 career batting average.

Kirby died in his home town of Nashville, Tennessee, at the age of 86.

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Jim Kirby (footballer)

Jim Kirby (born 21 December 1922) is a former Australian rules footballer who played with North Melbourne in the Victorian Football League (VFL).

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