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Events on Tuesday 8 January 2002 1
1932 – 2002Dave Thomas (1932-2002)Died 8 January 2002, aged 69Dave Thomas founded the Wendy's hamburger chain in Columbus, Ohio, in 1969 and built it into one of the largest fast-food companies in the world. A childhood spent partly in foster care led him to campaign for adoption reform. From 1989 he appeared in more than 800 folksy television adverts for the chain, an unusually long run for a company founder.