April 12, 1799 - Phineas Pratt received a patent for a "Machine for Making Combs".

May 1, 1860 - Thomas E. Hughes, of Birmingham, PA, received a patent for a "Shaving Cup"; shaving mug.

August 22, 1865 - William Sheppard, of New York City, received a patent for "Improved Liquid Soap" ("by the addition of comparatively small quantities of common soap to a large quantity of spirite of ammonia or hartshorn is thickened to the consistency of molasses, and a liquid soap is obtained of superior detergent qualities").

February 21, 1879 - Zeboim Cartter Patten, Fred F. Wiehl (President), H. Clay Evans, Lew Owen, Theodore G. Montague founded Chattanooga Medicine Company with $25,000 in capital in small unpretentious 2-story brick building located on muddy, unpaved Market Street in heart of downtown Chattanooga; first product was Thedford's Black Draught, senna based laxative developed in 1840 by Dr. A.Q. Simmons of Snow Hill, Georgia (first year sales of $35,488); 1882 - acquired rights to second product called Dr. McElree's Wine of Cardui, preparation or tonic for women based on sedative, antispasmodic; 1895 - nephews John A. Patten (joined company in 1884), Zeboim Charles Patten acquired all outstanding shares; pioneered direct-marketing, advertising techniques (distribution of tens of millions of Cardui wall calendars, church fans); recognized value of outdoor advertising; became charter member of United States Chamber of Commerce; 1939 - Lupton Patten (31), son of John A. Patten, took over as President; 1941 - formed Brayten Pharmaceutical Company (products promoted to physicians through medical journals, medical mailings, detail crew); December 1958 - Alexander Guerry, Jr. (40, nephew) succeeded; name changed to Chattem Drug and Chemical Company, two divisions created (Chattem Chemicals, Chattem Consumer Products); 1957 - annual sales of $5 million; September 1978 - name changed to Chattem, Inc.; 1990 - Zan Guerry (son) assumed Presidency; 1991 - sales exceeded $100 million; 1995 - Chattem Chemicals acquired by Elcat, Inc.; 1996 - acquired Gold Bond, leading brand of medicated cream and powder, from Martin Himmel, Inc.; 1998 - acquired Ban Anti-Perspirant & Deodorant from Bristol-Myers Squibb Company; annual sales exceeded $200 million; largest manufacturer of topical analgesics in U.S.; 2000 - Ban acquired by The Andrew Jergens Company; 2002 - acquired Selsun Blue from Abbott Laboratories; 2004 - adjusted net income of $34.3 million; international sales of approximately $25 million (about 8% of total revenues).

June 15, 1880 - Frederic and Otto F. Kampfe, of New York, NY, received a patent for a "Safety-Razor" ("simple and durable in construction, of small first cost, compact in form, and adapted to be used without soiling the fingers of the user").

1886 - Samuel Curtis Johnson bought parquet flooring business of Racine Hardware Company (Racine, WI); 4 employees, first year net profits: $268.27; 1888 - introduced Johnson's Prepared Wax, first national advertising; 1892 - Herbert F. Johnson, Sr. (son) joined company; 1906 - name changed to S.C. Johnson & Son; 1956 - launched Glade (to banish cooking, tobacco odors from homes); March 12, 1957 - registered "Glade" trademark first used March 18, 1956 (household deodorant); 1970 - introduced Edge; entered personal care product market; August 18, 1970 - registered "Edge" trademark first used August 21, 1968 (shave cream); October 1987 - went public; sales exceeded $2 billion; January 1993 - acquired Drackett Co. from Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. for $1.15 billion (ten times larger than any previous acquisition) - Windex®, Drano®, Vanish® brands; January 1998 - acquired DowBrands unit from Dow Chemical Co. for $1.13 billion (Ziploc®, Saran Wrap®, Fantastik® brands); altered logo, ads: "S.C. Johnson--A Family Company" (vs. "S.C. Johnson Wax").

1886 - J.T. Robertson and Gurdon Hicks Childs introduced Bon Ami brand household soap (original formula of feldspar and soap), made by Robertson Soap Co. of Manchester, CT; 1892 - William H. Childs, William Henry Harrison Childs (cousin) formed Childs and Childs, acquired exclusive rights to Bon Ami; 1897 - company name changed to Bon Ami Co.; 1903 - Ben Austrian, artist, created trademark 'chick'; October 1, 1912 - registered "Bon Ami" trademark first used July 5, 1892 (scouring-soap); 1955 - acquired by United Dye & Chemical Corp.; 1963 - acquired by Lestoil Products, Inc.; 1970 - entire advertising budget under $200,000 (1950s - $1 million annually); 1971 - acquired by Faultless Starch Co. for about $1 million (market share around 1%); 1974 - company name changed to name to Faultless Starch/Bon Ami Co., stressed environmentalism as a selling point for product; 2002 - third place in cleanser market, about 5% share.

1887 - Tomiro Nagase opened Nagase Store in Tokyo, Japan (introduced Kao Soap, quality toiletry soap); 1940 - established Nihon Yuki Company; 1949 - renamed Kao Soap Company; 1985 - renamed Kao Corporation.

February 18, 1896 - Black American inventor, Henry Grenon received a patent for a "Razor Stropping Device"; designed to handle razor while stropping it, provided for razor to automatically turn on its back when direction of motion of travelers reversed.

November 28, 1905 - Church & Dwight Company registered "Arm & Hammer " trademark first used in 1874 (saleratus, bicarbonate of soda, and sal-soda).

1908 - Dr. John Breck developed one of first liquid shampoos in United States, in Springfield MA; 1930 - introduced first ph-balanced shampoo; 1932 - advertising for brand began; sold exclusively to beauty salons in New England; 1936 - Edward Breck (son) assumed management control; 1946 - began national advertising, mass distribution; introduced "Breck Girls" advertising art campaign (original drawings by Charles G. Sheldon; ran until 1978); August 23, 1949 - John H. Breck, Inc. registered "Breck Brilliant" trademark first used December 1941 (preparation for the treatment of the hair); August 22, 1950 - registered "Breck" trademark first used February 4, 1931 (hair shampoos); 1963 - acquired by American Cyanamid; 1990 - acquired by Dial Corp; July 2002 - licensing rights acquired by Himmel Group.

1910 - Phillip Drackett (56), former pharmacist, enetered bulk chemical brokerage business in Cincinnati, OH; 1915 - incorporated P. W. Drackett & Sons Co.; sold chemicals (lye, ammonia, epsom salt); 1922 - introduced Drano - first consumer product, developed from lye (corrosive cleaner made by leaching wood ashes); name changed to Drackett Chemical Co.; 1933 - name changed to Drackett Co.; 1935 - introduced Windex, first successful glass cleaner on market; 1957 - launched Twinkle brass and silver polishes; 1958 - acquired Judson Dunaway Corp. (Vanish, toilet bowl disinfectant, Delete stain remover); 1965 - sales of $58.5 million, acquired by Bristol-Myers; 1966 - introduced Liquid Drano; 1969 - acquired, aggressively promoted Renuzit solid air freshener; 1992 - acquired by S. C. Johnson for $1.5 billion = merger of 1st and 5th competitors in polishes, sanitation goods.

May 3, 1913 - Edward Hughes (seller of wood, coal, grain hay), Charles Husband (bookkeeper at paper-bag factory), William Hussey (miner, only one with any practical knowledge of chemistry), Rufus Myers (lawyer), Archibald Taft (president of local Harbor Bank) invested $100 apiece to set up Electro-Alkaline Company, America's first commercial-scale liquid bleach factory in Oakland, CA; plan was to convert brine available in abundance from nearby salt ponds of San Francisco Bay into sodium hypochlorite bleach, using a sophisticated and technologically demanding process of electrolysis; August 13, 1913 - Abel M. Hamblet, engineer for  equipment supplier, suggested name "Clorox" for new product, from words "chlorine" and "sodium hydroxide" (combination formed bleach's active ingredient); 1914 - named their product Clorox® bleach; February 16, 1915 - Electro-Alkaline Company registered "Clorox Liquid Bleach Cleanser Germicide" trademark first used July 15, 1914 (bleaching, cleansing, and antiseptic compounds);  1916 - distribution throughout San Francisco Bay Area; sales of $14,237; 1921 - company went public; 1922 - reincorporated as Clorox Chemical Corporation; 1928 - name changed to Clorox Chemical Co.; 1953 - first television commercials aired; largest share of U.S. household bleach market;  1957 - name changed to The Clorox Company; annual sales over $40 million; August 1957 - acquired by Procter & Gamble Company; January 2, 1969 - company gained full, formal autonomy as publicly held corporation (U.S. Supreme Court ruled that Procter & Gamble had to sell The Clorox Company because of monopoly in production, sale of household liquid bleaches); 1974 - minority position acquired by Henkel to facilitate production, sale of products for household, bulk consumers in the US, Canada, Puerto Rico.

September 23, 1913 - Philip J. Brady, pan salesman,  registered "Brillo" trademark first used January 15, 1913 (aluminum cleansers).

September 19, 1916 - George A. Bunting (Baltimore, MD) registered "Noxema Skin Cream" trademark first used November 1, 1914 (medicine for the skin); 1920 - first Noxzema Chemical Company factory opened in Baltimore; 1960 - launched CoverGirl Cosmetics; 1966 - name changed to Noxell; February 28, 1967 - Noxzema Chemical Company registered "Cover Girl" trademark first used September 10. 1959 (medicated makeup); 1989 - acquired by Procter & Gamble for $1.3 billion.

1917 - Irwin W. Cox, aluminum pot salesman, invented pre-soaped steel-wool pad to clean pots; his wife gave name S.O.S. (Save Our Saucepans); January 20, 1920 - registered "SOS" trademark first used January 1, 1919 (cleanser and polish).

August 15, 1922 - P. W. Drackett & Sons Company registered "Drano" trademark first used January 1921 (Use Upon a Chemical for Cleansing Drains, Sinks, Washbowls, etc.).

1923 - Clinton Odell, lawyer and insurance agent, founded Burma-Vita Corporation in Minneapolis, MN (named for cajeput oils, camphor, cassia from Malay peninsula and Burma in liniment product created by Robert Odell, father, for use by sick customers); formulated brushless shaving cream, Burma-Shave (created by chemist Carl Noren to improve upon Lloyd's Euxesis, British product that was first brushless shaving cream); 1925 - Allan Gilbert Odell (son), starting with $200, advertised product on six small, red wooden roadside signs, with rhymes, arranged in sequence (about 100 feet apart) along Minnesota highways 65 and 61;  1926 - sales rose from virtually nothing to $68,000; 1930s - sales topped $3 million; December 21, 1948 - Burma-Vita Corporation registered "Burma-Shave" trademark first used January 1, 1926 (shaving cream to be used before shaving); became number two seller of men's shaving cream; February 1963 - acquired by Phillip Morris; 1966 - Burma-Shave signs disappeared from America's highways; 1979 - Burma-Shave Division acquired by American Safety Razors (Leonard Odell, president).

June 15, 1926 - Whistle Bottling Company (Johnsonburg, PA) registered "Spic and Span" trademark (washing and cleaning compound in crystal form with incidental water-softening properties); 1945 - acquired by Procter & Gamble; August 30, 1949 - Procter & Gamble registered "Spic and Span" trademark (soluble cleaner, cleanser, and detergent), January 2001 - acquired by Shansy Group; Spic and Span Company formed (Irvington NY).

January 31, 1933 - Drackett Chemical Company (Cincinnati, OH) registered "Windex" trademark first used July 22, 1932 (liquid cleaner for glass and vitreous surfaces).

March 16, 1937 - Shulton Inc. (founded 1934 by William Lightfoot Schultz) registered "Old Spice" trademark first used August 26, 1936 (shaving cream, toilet soaps, soap pastes, shampoo soaps; June 1990 - acquired by Procter & Gamble.

July 13, 1937 - Leroy Lind, of Rockford, IL, received a patent for the "Art of Water Softening" ("improved method of and apparatus for softening water for domestic purposes using regeneratable granulated mineral"); Servi-Soft water softener.

October 1, 1946 -  Procter & Gamble registered "Tide" trademark first used October 9, 1945 (sudsing, soap-like detergents in solid [non-liquid] form for household and laundry purposes); test marketed Tide detergent (combination of synthetic surfactants and "builders" created in 1943); 1949 - expanded nationally; first advertising theme, "Cleaner than any soap," replaced with "Tide's in, Dirt's out"; achieved market leadership three months after going national, has never lost that leadership; 1984 - Liquid launched; 1988 - Tide with Bleach launched; 1990s - Ultra Tide Powder and Liquid and Ultra Tide Powder and Liquid with Bleach rolled out nationally; product line expanded with Tide Compact Liquid polybag refills, Compact Liquid with Bleach.

1947 - Colgate introduced Ajax Cleanser and Fab Detergent; January 28, 1947 - Colgate-Palmolive registered "Ajax" trademark first used in 1904 (soap and household cleanser); March 14, 1950 - Colgate-Palmolive registered "Fab" trademark first used January 29, 1920 (sudsing cleaner [cleanser ] and detergent and for soaps for laundry and household use).

1949 - Ivan D. Combe founded Combe Incorporated; 1950 - created Clearasil; first effective acne medication ever introduced for teen-agers; worked a distributor, sales manager, advertising director; became number one in its industry; August 17, 1954 - Clearasil Incorporated registered "Clearasil" trademark first used March 7, 1950 (pharmaceutical preparation-namely, a greaseless medication for external application to pimples and acne); 1961 - acquired by Richardson-Vicks; June 10, 1975 - Combe Incorporated registered "Johnson's Odor-Eaters" trademark first used February 21, 1973 (foot deodorizing products-namely, deodorizing insoles); July 25, 1983 - Combe Incorporated registered "Grecian Formula 16" trademark first used December 30, 1970 (cosmetics - namely, hair coloring preparations).

1955 - Procter & Gamble Co. introduced Crest toothpaste with active ingredient Fluoristan (P&G trade name for a combination of stannous fluoride and a fluoride-compatible polishing agent).

1956 - Procter & Gamble introduced Comet cleanser.; 2001 - sold to Prestige Brands.

December 29, 1959 - Armour and Company, Chicago, IL, registered "Dial" (bath and toilet soap) trademark.

February 2, 1960 - Gillette Company registered "Right Guard" trademark (deodorants and personal use).

April 3, 1962 - Procter & Gamble Company registered "Head & Shoulders" trademark; (hair shampoo).

April 3, 1973 - Francis W. Dorion, of Hingham, MA, received a patent for a "Dual Razor Blade Assembly"; assigned to The Gillette Company (Boston, MA).

 September 21, 1982 - Gold Bond Sterilizing Powder Co. registered "Gold Bond" trademark first used January 15, 1908 (Medicated Skin Powder); March 1990 - acquired by martin Himmel Inc. from Block Drug Company for $1 million; became #1 Medicated Powder in US (69% category share); 1995 - sales of $30 million; April 1996 - acquired by Chattem Inc. for $40 million.

1984 - Roxanne Quimby, Burt Shavitz teamed up in Maine to sell candles made from beeswax created as by-product of Burt's honey business; first year sales of $20,000; 1991 - incorporated, made half a million candles a year, natural soaps, perfumes cooked on gas stoves; introduced lip balm (best-selling product); 1994 - moved to Creedmoor, NC, focused entire product line on personal care (50 products); 1998 - annual sales over $8 million, more than 100 distinct items in product line sold in over 4,000 outlets; late 1999 - Quimby bought out Shavitz for $130,000; 2003 - 80% stake acquired by AEA Investors for $141.6 million; 2006 - sales topped $250 million; 2007 - leading manufacturer of Earth-friendly natural personal care products (150 products carried in nearly 30,000 retail outlets); November 2007 - acquired by Clorox for $913 million.

September 13, 1996 - The Gillette Company announced about $7 billion merger with battery maker Duracell (sales of $2.3 billion); became Gillette's second best-selling product line.

January 28, 2005 - Procter & Gamble announced planned acquisition of Gillette Company for $57 billion; largest consumer products company in world; largest acquisition in nation since J.P. Morgan Chase acquired Bank One for $60 billion.

(Bear Creek Ice Company), F. Charles Petrillo (1998). Albert Lewis, The Bear Creek Lumber and Ice King: The Bear Creek Ice Company. (Kearney, NB: Morris Pub., 237 p.). Lewis, Albert, 1840-1923; Bear Creek Ice Company--History; Industrialists--Pennsylvania--Biography; Ice industry--Pennsylvania--History; Lumber trade--Pennsylvania--History.

(Fels & Co.), Evelyn Bodek Rosen (2000). The Philadelphia Fels, 1880-1920: A Social Portrait. (Madison, NJ: Fairleigh Dickinson University Press, 231 p.). Fell family; Jews--Pennsylvania--Philadelphia--Biography; Jewish capitalists and financiers--Pennsylvania--Philadelphia--Biography; Jews, German--Pennsylvania--Philadelphia--Biography; Philadelphia (Pa.)--Biography. 

(Gillette), Russell B. Adams, Jr. (1978). King C. Gillette, The Man and His Wonderful Shaving Device. (Boston, MA: Little, Brown, 311 p.). Gillette, King C. (King Camp), 1855-1932; Gillette Company--History; Businesspeople--United States--Biography.

(Larkin Co.), Daniel I. Larkin (1998). John D. Larkin, Business Pioneer. (Amherst, NY: D. I. Larkin, 212 p.). Larkin, John D., 1845-1926; Larkin Co.--History; Industrialists--United States--Biography; Soap trade--United States--History; Cleaning compounds industry--United States--History.

(Mennen), Alfred Lief (1954). The Mennen Story. (New York, NY: McGraw-Hill, 89 p.). Mennen Company.

(Procter & Gamble), Alfred Lief (1958). It Floats; The Story of Procter & Gamble. (New York, NY: Rinehart, 338 p.). Procter & Gamble Company.

(Procter & Gamble), Oscar Schisgall (1981). Eyes on Tomorrow: The Evolution of Procter & Gamble. (Chicago, IL: J.G. Ferguson, 295 p.). Procter & Gamble Company--History; Soap trade--United States--History.

(Procter & Gamble), eds. of Advertising Age (1988). Procter & Gamble : The House That Ivory Built. (Lincolnwood, IL: NTC Business Books, 234 p.). Soap Trade, Procter & Gamble Company-History.

(Procter & Gamble), Alecia Swasy (1993). Soap Opera: The Inside Story of Procter & Gamble. (New York, NY: Times Business, 378 p.). Assistant Managing Editor for Business (St. Petersburg Times). Procter & Gamble Company; Soap trade--United States.

(Procter & Gamble), Davis Dyer, Frederick Dalzell, Rowena Olegario (2004). Rising Tide: Lessons from 165 Years of Brand Building at Procter & Gamble. (Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Press, 467 p.). Partners (Winthrop Group), Assistant Professor of History (Vanderbilt University). Procter & Gamble Company--History; Brand name products--United States--Case studies; Product management--United States--Case studies; Soap trade--United States--History. 

(Procter & Gamble), John Pepper (2007). What Really Matters: Service, Leadership, People, and Values. (New Haven, CT: University Press, 305 p.). Former Chairman and CEO, Procter & Gamble. Pepper, John, 1938- ; Procter & Gamble Company--History; Success in business; Organizational effectiveness. 1)  continuous change, innovation, renewal - growth, sound leadership; 2) preparedness to alter perspective, rethink assumptions, change course  - central to understanding customer needs, controlling costs, developing talent, organizing global businesses, supporting communities; 3) listen to and respect the customer, engender personal accountability, passionate ownership, encourage diversity, create vibrant, trusting institution that incorporates employees and their families. 

(Procter & Gamble), A.G. Lafley & Ram Charan (2008). The Game-Changer: How You Can Drive Revenue and Profit Growth with Innovation. (New York, NY: Crown Business, 336 p.). chairman and CEO of P&G;. Procter & Gamble Company; Leadership; Management; Creative ability in business; Organizational effectiveness; Corporations -- Growth. Past 7 years: Procter & Gamble has tripled profits; significantly improved organic revenue growth, cash flow, operating margins, averaged earnings per share growth of 12%, integrated innovation, created new customers, new markets;  how P&G, companies such as Honeywell, Nokia, LEGO, GE, HP, DuPont have become game-changers.

(Spic and Span Company), Robert W. Stenglein (2004). The Spic and Span Story. (Larkspur, CA: Woolcott Press, 258 p.). "Son of Spic and Span". Spic and Span; Detergent Industry; Cleaning Supplies.  

(Christr. Thomas  & Bros.), John Somerville (1991). Christopher Thomas, Soapmaker of Bristol: The Story of Christr. Thomas & Bros., 1745-1954. (Bristol, UK: White Tree Books, 121 p.). Thomas, Christopher James, 1807-1894; Christr. Thomas & Bros.--History; Soap trade--England--Bristol--History; Soap factories--England--Bristol--History; Businessmen--England--Bristol--Biography; Bristol (England)--Economic conditions.

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