1817
First Colgate advertisement appears in a New York newspaper.

1820
Colgate establishes a starch factory in Jersey City, New Jersey.

1857
Upon the death of founder William Colgate, the company is reorganized as Colgate & Company under the management of Samuel Colgate, his son.

1864
B.J. Johnson opens a soap factory in Milwaukee, WI which later becomes the Palmolive Company.

1866
Colgate introduces perfumed soap and perfumes/essences.

1872
Peet Brothers establish soap company in Kansas City, Kansas where they make Crystal White soap.

Cashmere Bouquet, the first milled perfumed toilet soap, is registered as a Colgate trademark.

1873
Colgate introduces toothpaste in jars.

1879
Gerhard Mennen establishes a pharmacy in Newark, NJ, later becoming the Mennen Company.

1896
Colgate introduces toothpaste in a collapsible tube.

1898
B.J. Johnson Soap Co. introduces Palmolive Soap.

Today, the Palmolive equity is sold in over 88 countries in 54 variants.

1900
Colgate wins top honors for its fine soaps and perfumes at the World’s Fair in Paris.

Updated July 2007