1907-1920
William Cooper Procter, son of William Alexander, takes over as Head of the company. Crisco is invented and introduced, and the company’s candles are discontinued with the development of the electric light bulb!Over the next three decades, Procter & Gamble develops many more products. Tide detergent, Drene shampoo, Duncan Hines Cake Mix, and Crest toothpaste are just a few of the products that brought the company much wealth, during that time.
1850
Procter & Gamble begin printing the “Moon and Stars” on their packaged products, as their unofficial trademark.
1859
Procter & Gamble reaches the one million-dollar mark!
1862
Numerous contracts were awarded to P&G, during the Civil War, to supply soap and candles to the Union armies.
1890
William Alexander Procter, younger son of Mr. Procter, becomes the first President of the company. That same year, he builds one of the American industry’s first research labs for products.
1837
William Procter (a candle maker from England) and James Gamble (a soap maker from Ireland) immigrate to Cincinnati, Ohio and begin selling their products. A formal partnership is signed on October 31, 1837.
1957-1961
P&G enters the paper product industry with the acquisition of Charmin Paper Mills, and Pampers are brought to the test market. The original Charmin “family” included paper towels, facial tissue and bath tissue, however; P&G discontinued all but bath tissue for their product market.
1973
Procter & Gamble patents a new manufacturing technique to produce softer Charmin tissue.
1978
Charmin becomes available in all 50 states, and the new 6-roll package is introduced.
1994-1997
Charmin’s products just keep coming! The Charmin Mega Roll, the double roll, the triple roll, and the “Big Squeeze” mega size roll are created.
1999
Procter & Gamble introduces its biggest upgrade in 10 years-the new, most absorbent Charmin toilet tissue with the same softness.
2002
P&G develops Naturella feminine pads specifically for needs of low-income women in Latin America.
2006
To aid the global crisis of unsafe drinking water in developing countries, P&G launches the Children’s Safe Drinking Water Program using their PUR water system.
William Procter and James Gamble settle in the Queen City of the West, Cincinnati, and establish themselves in business — William as a candle maker and James as a soap maker. The two might never have met had they not married sisters, whose father convinced his new sons-in-law to become business partners. As a result, in 1837, a new company was born: Procter & Gamble.
1879
P&G launches its first branded product, Ivory Soap.
P&G becomes one of the first companies to advertise on commercial radio.
1961
P&G introduces Pampers, the first affordable, successful, disposable diaper.
175 Years of Innovation
Since our humble beginnings in 1837, P&G products have been touching and improving people’s everyday lives.
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Birth of an Icon: TAMPAX
P&G’s iconic brand Tampax has changed women’s everyday lives forever, providing an innovative and comfortable feminine care option.
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More Iconic Brands
In 1837, William Procter and James Gamble signed a partnership agreement formalizing The Procter & Gamble Company, with combined total assets of $7,192.24.