Historical Timeline
This section contains highlights, technological breakthroughs and company achievements from over 100 years of 3M history.
Click each decade to learn more:
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1940–1949
Wartime Inventions, Peacetime Prosperity
World War II and its aftermath shaped the '40s, launching the Atomic Age and the Marshall Plan. Penicillin appeared, and so did television in living black and white.
  The decade brought many changes to 3M. During the war, automobile production halted. 3M sales representatives sought new customers. They found hundreds of industrial uses to expand their adhesives business. Industry's increased use of machinery in wartime continued afterward, increasing demand for abrasives. 3M product innovations ranged from nonwoven materials to vinyl electrical tape. 3M™ Sound Recording Tape, spurred by singer Bing Crosby's interest and promotion, revolutionized the entertainment industry.
In 1946, 3M stock was listed for the first time on the New York Stock Exchange.
William L. McKnight, president, offered his management philosophy to guide the company. His belief in encouraging individual initiative, risk-taking and the freedom to fail, enabled 3M to manage many diverse businesses and continue steady growth.
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