Which Fortune 500 company introduced Pampers disposable diapers in 1961?

Procter & Gamble introduced Pampers disposable diapers in 1961. The product emerged from a development project led by P&G chemical engineer Vic Mills, who wanted a more convenient alternative to cloth diapers.

Pampers were first tested in 1959 and introduced commercially in Peoria, Illinois, in 1961. Early versions were bulky, expensive, and fastened with pins, so they were initially used mainly for travel and other situations where laundering cloth diapers was difficult.

The diaper’s convenience improved as P&G developed better absorbent materials, improved fit, elastic leg gathers, and adhesive fastening systems. Disposable diapers gradually became more common as manufacturing costs fell and supermarkets expanded their distribution.

A frequent mix-up is the relationship between Pampers and Huggies. Pampers is a Procter & Gamble brand; Huggies is made by Kimberly-Clark. Neither brand invented every feature used in modern diapers, which developed through many incremental improvements.