Definition of Tampons: Tampons are defined as a mass of absorbent, spongy material, primarily used as a disposable feminine hygiene product. It was designed to be easily inserted into the vagina via a during menstruation and absorb the menstrual flow using a disposable, telescoping cardboard applicator.

Fact 1: Who invented Tampons? Tampons were invented by Earle Haas in 1931 during the Interwar Era of inventions (1918 - 1939).

Fact 2: Who invented Tampons? Prior to the invention of Tampons in 1931, women used items such as papyrus fibers, sea sponges, grasses, hay, moss, paper, rags, furs, sheep's wool and cotton to absorb the menstrual flow.

Fact 3: Who invented Tampons? The first disposable pads were invented during WW1 (1914 - 1918) due to a cotton shortage as a result of all the bandages required on the battlefield. An American paper mill company called Kimberly-Clark Company solved the problem when they used the cellulose fibers of wood pulp to develop a material they called "Cellucotton", that was five times more absorbent than cotton bandages and much cheaper to produce.

Fact 4: Who invented Tampons? The Red Cross nurses working in the WW1 battlefields of France began to use the "Cellucotton" bandages as disposable pads during their menstruation periods. The cellulose fabric was very absorbent and cheap enough to just throw away.

Fact 5: Who invented Tampons? When WW1 ended the Kimberly-Clark Company made the decision to take up the idea of the nurses and introduced the first modern sanitary napkin they called Kotex, an abbreviation of 'cotton' and 'texture', in 1920. It took some time to take off because there was a reluctance to advertise such a product. The first advert was introduced in 1926 by retailer Montgmery Ward in Good Housekeeping magazine.

Fact 6: Who invented Tampons? The history of the insertable tampon, dates back thousands of years. The first documented evidence was found in the Ebers Papyrus, an Ancient Egyptian medical papyrus of herbal knowledge that was written c. 1550 BC. Other ancient civilizations used paper, mosses, grasses and sea sponges to create similar items. However there was no such product available in recent times until Earle Haas  invented the modern tampon in 1931. 

Fact 7: Who invented Tampons? The inventor of Tampons, Earle Haas, was born on January 01, 1888 in Denver, Colorado, United States and died on January 01, 1981.

Fact 8: Who invented Tampons? The early years of Earle Haas were spent in Denver, Colorado, United States where he was raised by his family. Earle Haas was educated at Kansas City College of Osteopathy.

Fact 9: Who invented Tampons? Following his education he married a local girl and worked as a country general practitioner in Colorado and went on to found a company that manufactured antiseptics.

Fact 10: Who invented Tampons? As a qualified physician he had no qualms about discussing 'feminine matters' with his wife and their intimate discussions led him to invent the tampon. 

Fact 11: Who invented Tampons? Earle Haas called his invention a 'Catamenial device' and filed for a patent for his invention on November 19, 1931. Earle Haas was granted patent number US 1926900 for his invention on September 12, 1933. The word 'Catamenial' was taken from the Greek word 'Katamenia', meaning "Monthly".

Fact 12: Who invented Tampons? In his patent application he described the inner part of his device as an elongated strip of absorbent material (cotton) with a pull cord. He described the outer tube (the applicator) as waxed or covered with an especially prepared smooth wrapping to facilitate its insertion. The description went on to state that "the tube is formed of cardboard, paper, or similar soluble in water absorbent material, they may be discarded into a toilet bowl where they will dissolve or soften so that they may be flushed away".

Fact 13: Who invented Tampons? Dr Earle Haas sold his patent for tampons for  $32,000 to businesswoman Gertrude Tendrich. She bought a sewing machine and an air compressor capable of making 1000 tampons a day and started a company named Tampax on March 7, 1936.

Fact 14: Who invented Tampons? The word 'tampon' was derived from Middle French meaning "plug", originally a medical term for a wound dressing to stench the flow of blood.

Fact 15: Who invented Tampons? The company had the difficult task of marketing, advertising and selling tampos which was viewed as a 'taboo' subject. The company combined a hard selling program with delicate good taste and the first advert for Tampax appeared on Sunday, July 26, 1936, in the 'American Weekly'.

Fact 16: Who invented Tampons? The use of tampons increased as credible medical endorsements allowed women to trust the product.

Fact 17: Who invented Tampons? The 1960's and 1970's saw the influence of the women’s liberation movement and books like Betty Friedan’s 'The Feminine Mystique' slowly began to change society's acceptance of subjects such as menstruation and the use of tampons. 

Fact 18: Who invented Tampons? Adverts for tampons were banned from Television right up to 1972. As marketing campaigns for the product became more acceptable and familiar the sales of tampons increased.

Fact 19: Who invented Tampons? A problem occurred in 1980 when the material for some tampons was changed from cotton to the more absorbent cellulose material. The absorbent quality of cellulose allowed women to leave a tampon in place for longer periods and soon, serious cases of Toxic Shock Syndrome (TSS) were reported. Manufacturers quickly reverted to the original cotton material and the incidence of Toxic Shock Syndrome decreased.

Fact 20: Who invented Tampons? The acceptance of tampons product recovered as marketing campaigns concentrated on the themes of freedom, confidence, cleanliness and active lifestyles.

Fact 21: Who invented Tampons? Earle Haas died on January 01, 1981 by which time it was at last deemed appropriate for women to discuss tampons which liberated women from the negativity associated with the menstruation period. Today, 70% of women in the western world use tampons.

Fast Info and Tampons Fact File: Country of Origin: America *** Name of Inventor: Earle Haas *** Nationality of Inventor: American *** Date of Invention: 1931 *** Invention: Tampons *** Lifespan of Inventor: 1888 - 1981 *** Invention Era: Interwar (1918 - 1939) *** Type: Medical *** The Inventor and Invention of Tampons ***