Herman Hollerith was an American inventor born on February 29, 1860. He is best known for developing the tabulating machine, which used punched cards to process data. This innovation significantly improved the efficiency of data collection and analysis, particularly during the 1890 U.S. Census. Hollerith founded the Tabulating Machine Company, which later became part of IBM (International Business Machines Corporation). His work laid the foundation for modern data processing and computing, making him a key figure in the history of information technology. Hollerith passed away on November 17, 1929.