Henry Ford was born July 30, 1863 in Dearborn, Michigan. A self-taught mechanic and machinist, Ford left his family's farm at the age of 16 for the growing city of Detroit. He launched The Ford Motor Car Company in 1903 and by 1916 had sold 720,000 vehicles. Ford's reliable and inexpensive automobile was made possible only by his introduction of the moving assembly line — undoubtedly Ford's greatest contribution to industry. An industrialist and inventor, Ford was also a philanthropist. He built a hospital for his employees in Detroit and established the Ford Foundation for the purpose of "advancing human welfare."