Business Birthdays and Anniversaries in February

BIRTHDAYS

• Feb 3, 1811 -  Horace Greeley: Founder of NY Tribune and one of the organizers of the Republican party.

• Feb 8, 1906  - Chester Carlson: Dry-copy machine inventor, 1938. 

• Feb 11, 1847 -  Thomas Alva Edison:  He developed many devices which transformed the technology of the 20th century. Edison succeeded in applying mass production techniques to inventions, helping to make them commercially successful.

• Feb 11, 1907 - William Levitt: Pioneer of fast, affordable housing construction. In many ways his company, Levitt & Sons, created the modern suburb.

• Feb 12, 1889 -  John Llewellyn Lewis: American labor leader. Became leader of the United Mine Workers of America

• Feb 14, 1859 -  George Washington Gale Ferris: Engineer and inventor, best known for the Ferris Wheel.

• Feb 15, 1809 - Cyrus H. McCormick: Inventor of the reaper (harvester) -- the first horse-drawn machine was used in July 1831. His company later became International Harvester.

• Feb 15, 1845 -  Robert Wood Johnson: Founder of Johnson & Johnson in 1886 with his two brothers, Edward Mead Johnson; and James Wood Johnson. He served as president until his death in 1910 and was succeed by his brother, James, until Robert Wood Johnson II, then 16, was old enough to take over.

• Feb 16, 1884 - Robert Joseph Flaherty: Filmmaker, explorer and author, called "Father of the Documentary Film"

• Feb 20, 1926 -  Kenneth H. Olsen: Co-founder of Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC) in 1957 with colleague Harlan Anderson. He pioneered the mini- and micro-computer markets, but was overtaken by the PC in the mid 1980’s.

• Feb 17, 1874 -  Thomas Watson, Sr.: Founder of IBM

• Feb 27, 1871 David Sarnoff: He led RCA to become the leader in radio programming, and founded NBC as a subsidiary of RCA.

• Feb 23, 1967 -  Michael Dell: Founded Dell Computer, the world’s largest computer manufacturer, in his dorm room at the University of Texas

• Feb 24, 1955 -  Steven Jobs: Co-founder with Steve Wozniak of Apple Computer Company. Pioneer in bringing affordable computers to the masses

• Feb 26, 1829 -  Levi Strauss: Created world's first pair of jeans for California gold miners in 1850

• Feb 28, 1925  - James E. Burke: Former chairman of Johnson & Johnson, he is best known for his handling of the Tylenol crisis in 1982. When cyanide-laced capsules caused two consumer deaths, he immediately recalled all of the product. His dramatic and swift action resulted in the company recovering its market share.

ANNIVERSARIES IN FEBRUARY

• 1 - 1898: Car Insurance (against accidents with horses) first issued by Travelers Insurance Company.

• 5 - 1850 Esther Howland is the first publisher of Valentine's Day cards, running an ad in the Worcester, Massachusetts Daily Spy. After receiving her first English valentine, she became fascinated with the idea of making and selling them. When orders far exceeded what she could make herself, she recruited friends to help her. The assembly line she set up in her home eventually produced $100,000 in sales. Esther retired in 1881, selling her business to the George C. Whitney Company.

• 13 - 1741: First magazines published in America. Andrew Bradford published The American Magazine just three days ahead of Ben Franklin’s General Magazine.

• 10 - 1897: “All the News That’s Fit to Print” slogan appears on NY Times front page. It had first appeared on the editorial page in 1896. Owner Adolph Ochs offered $100 for a slogan but concluded his was best.

• 14 - 1902: New England Confectionary Company's tiny conversational candies are a hit the first year of their introduction. Originally called "Motto Hearts," they had room for longer sayings. Today's NECCO Sweethearts Conversation Hearts have sayings that are short and sweet but use the same formula developed 90 years ago. To meet the demand, NECCO produces approximately eight billion candies throughout the year. The entire production – more than 100,000 pounds a day – sells out in just six weeks.

• 14 - 1946: ENIAC, the first digital electronic computer, is introduced at the University of PA.

• 17 - 1879: The Bell Telephone Company merges with the New England Telephone Company to form the National Bell Telephone Company.

• 22 - 1879: Woolworth’s, the first chain store, opens in Utica, NY. F. W. Woolworth was considered by his first boss to be the worst salesman in the world, but found success in selling large quantities of merchandise at low prices. At its peak, the chain of five-and-dimes had 100,000 stores. The Woolworth Building in Lower Manhattan was the tallest building in the world when it was completed in 1913.

• 23 - 1892: Diesel engine is patented by Dr. Rudolph Diesel in Germany.

• 24 - 1992: General Motors Corporation suffers the greatest loss ($4.45 billion) by a US company.

• 25 - 1901: J.P. Morgan creates United States Steel Company through the merger of ten companies. With a capitalization of $1.4 billion, it is the world's largest industrial corporation.

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