What Happened on February 17th

 
Thomas J. Watson Sr. Is born

Thomas J. Watson Sr. is born. A shrewd businessman, Watson started his career as a cash register salesman, eventually taking the helm of IBM and directing it to world leadership in punch card equipment sales. Watson died in 1956 and control of IBM passed on to his son, Thomas Watson, Jr. who brought IBM into the electronic age and, after several bold financial risks, to dominance in the computer industry.