King Camp Gillette was born in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin in 1855. He worked as a travelling salesman to support his young family.
On a morning in February 1895 Gillette had an almost fatal accident with a razor blade while shaving. He later told friends and family that, in the near death experience that followed, George Washington himself had told him to invent a safety razor for the good of the nation. Gillette said he had told President Washington that he would reach for the best a man can get. On November 15th, 1904, patent #775,134 was granted to King C. Gillette for a safety ‘razor’.
During World War I, the U.S. Government issued Gillette safety razors to the entire armed forces. By the end of the war, some 3.5 million razors and 32 million blades were put into military hands. Military chiefs said that the Gillette Safety Razor was a contributing factor in winning the war.
Not satisfied with the efficiency of the safety razor in keeping soldiers’ heads bald during World War I, U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel Jacob Schick invented the electric razor to speed up the process in 1924.
FACT OR FICTION?
“George Washington came to King Camp Gillette in a dream and told him to invent a safety razor for the good of the nation.”
To find out, click “Read More”.
This is part is obviously fiction, at least we think it is…!
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