Panchronia

A toothbrush born in prison

◍ Open on the globe

1780 · Newgate Prison, London · Europe · Science

A prisoner makes a toothbrush from a dinner bone

Jailed in Newgate in 1770 for rioting, William Addis drilled holes in a bone saved from dinner and tied in bristles. Once free he started making toothbrushes, and by 1780 they were mass-produced.

State: Kingdom of Great Britain, British Empire

Did you know

The mass-produced toothbrush was invented in prison. Jailed in Newgate in 1770, William Addis set bristles in a bone from his dinner; once free, by 1780 he was mass-producing toothbrushes. Share →

Meanwhile around the world (±25 years)

Eastern Europe & Russia

Africa

Asia

Americas

Oceania

Alive at the time