Bill Hewlett and David Packard hardly expected that their garage workshop would evolve into a global corporation with a significant influence on how we work and develop products and services.

However, their first product, the oscillator KH 200A, was sold to none other than Walt Disney Productions and used to make the feature film Fantasia. From that point onwards, HP didn’t look back.

Like many American companies at the time, Hewlett-Packard did everything it could to support the government and military during World War II. The company’s founders set a commendable example during this pivotal period in American history. Bill Hewlett served in the U.S. Army while Dave Packard led the company in his absence.

In the 1950s and 1960s, the company truly flourished with the introduction of minicomputers, printers, and much more.

Want to delve deeper into the stories that have shaped the HP you know today? Then visit this page, among other resources.