This Day in History

February 29, 1860

Herman Hollerith is Born

Herman Hollerith is born on February 29, 1860. In 1890 he provided the mechanical means for tabulating the US Census data. His tabulating machines were later used for the analysis of censuses around the world before his machines were replaced by machines built by Powers. The company he founded, Tabulating Machines Company, was one of three that came together in 1914 to form C-T-R (Calculating, Tabulating, Recording) Co. that Thomas J. Watson, Sr. was to take over and rename as the IBM Corporation.