Johnson & Johnson was founded in 1886.
Brothers Robert Wood Johnson, James Wood Johnson, and Edward Mead Johnson established Johnson & Johnson in New Brunswick, New Jersey, in 1886. The company was created during a period when advances in antiseptic surgery were changing medical practice. Its early products included sterile surgical dressings and medical supplies.
Robert Wood Johnson had been influenced by Joseph Lister's antiseptic principles and helped develop standardized, ready-to-use dressings. Johnson & Johnson later expanded into consumer health products, prescription medicines, and medical devices. Its well-known consumer brands have changed over time as the company reorganized its businesses.
The company is distinct from Johnson & Johnson's former consumer-health subsidiary, Kenvue, which became an independent public company in 2023. It is also unrelated to Johnson Controls. The 1886 founding date identifies the healthcare corporation and should not be confused with the introduction dates of individual products such as Band-Aid brand adhesive bandages.