William Hereford
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Our history
Discover Johnson & Johnson’s rich history of healthcare innovation.
We believe good health is the foundation of vibrant lives, thriving communities and forward progress. That’s why for 139 years, we have aimed to keep people well at every age and every stage of life. Learn about our history.
Our stories
Read behind the scenes details of how we’ve worked to improve the health and lives of people worldwide.
Company timeline
Beginning with the 1876 World’s Fair, discover key moments in Johnson & Johnson’s history.
From the archives
Learn about our iconic and pioneering products, and see some of our advertisements through the years.
Highlights from our history
The legacy of Dr. Paul Janssen: How a “funny idea” helped change the course of modern medicine
When the Belgian physician created his research lab in the 1950s, he did it largely on his own. But it didn’t take long for the medical community to realize the then 26-year-old was on to something profound. Over the course of his long and esteemed career, Dr. Paul, as he was known, coined more than 100 patents and developed dozens of life-changing medications.
The inside story of the Powerhouse
Johnson & Johnson has always used cutting-edge technology to move medicine forward. This was true even in the early 1900s, when a new brick building began supplying electrical power to company facilities. Here’s a short history of this still-in-use part of the New Brunswick campus.
A businessman with a penchant for helping others
The brother of Johnson & Johnson cofounders Robert Wood Johnson and James Wood Johnson, Edward Mead Johnson led the company’s sales and marketing division in the 19th century. In 1898, Edward Mead left Johnson & Johnson, taking with him the company’s digestive products line, a business that would eventually become a leading global company in the field of infant and child nutrition.
Immerse yourself in our history
Championing nurses since the 1890s
Learn about the early connection between Johnson & Johnson and the evolving nursing profession.
Windows on the past: The Johnson & Johnson employees who were forever commemorated in stained glass
In the 1930s the company commissioned a series of colorful panels to pay homage to men and women who worked at Johnson & Johnson. For Employee Appreciation Day, we tell the story behind the art.
James Wood Johnson: a practical problem solver
Learn more about this Johnson & Johnson cofounder.
9 Johnson & Johnson innovations that helped drive medicine forward
From a superior way to sterilize surgical products to lifesaving medicine to treat a drug-resistant disease, check out just some of the ways Johnson & Johnson has exemplified innovation—and shared its breakthroughs with the world.
Look for the sign: The unique way Johnson & Johnson helped ring in the New Year in 1915
Spoiler: It was a giant rooftop electric sign that spread holiday cheer to visitors riding the Pennsylvania Railroad through New Brunswick, New Jersey.
9 Johnson & Johnson inventions that changed life as we know it
In honor of National Inventors Day, we’re celebrating just a few of the countless innovations the company has pioneered over the years—staples that are now ubiquitous in households and hospitals alike.
From company president to national business leader: the story of Robert Wood Johnson II
The son of company founder Robert Wood Johnson rose through the ranks to lead Johnson & Johnson through the transformative decades of the Depression and World War II, cementing the organization’s legacy as an innovative healthcare company that puts people first.
Multilanguage advertising in the early 1900s
Shortly after the company was founded in 1886, Johnson & Johnson began creating advertising in multiple languages to better reach doctors, surgeons, employees and the public. Here’s a look at some of these ads, which were translated into 15 languages in the early 1900s.
The charming way Johnson & Johnson showed its thanks to employees in the 1960s
We posed a question to Johnson & Johnson’s Chief Historian: What artifact from the archives do you love best?
That’s so presidential! 4 of Johnson & Johnson’s most memorable moments with heads of state
In honor of Presidents’ Day, the company’s chief historian shares some stories of special company connections to former U.S. presidents, including the day one leader awarded Johnson & Johnson with a medal for a century’s worth of innovation.