Monsanto was founded in 1901 in St. Louis, Missouri by John Francis Queeny. The company’s first product was an artificial sweetener that they sold to Coca-Cola.
In 1919, the company expanded to Europe through a partnership with Graesser’s Chemical Works.
In 1936, the company acquired Thomas & Hochwalt Laboratories.
In 1944, the company began producing DDT.
In 1946, the company developed All laundry detergent. The sold the product to the Lever Brothers in 1957.
In 1968, Monsanto was the first company to mass produce LED lights.
In 1982, scientists from the company genetically modify the first plant.
In 1996, the company acquired Agracetus, a biotechnology company that had produced transgenic varieties of several crops.
In 2009, Forbes Magazine named Monsanto the “Company of the Year”.
Today, Monsanto is the world’s leading producer of genetically engineered seed. The company also produces the herbicide RoundUp.
