The Indiana Historical Society has a very cool interactive exhibit about the development of the polio vaccine. Inspired by that display, our LillyPad team did a little digging into Lilly’s own historical archives. 

We’ve discovered all sorts of interesting facts about Lilly’s history. For example, did you know that Lilly was the first American pharmaceutical company to launch its own website? Or that Lilly was the first source of commercial insulin in the U.S., beginning in 1923? We also found some fascinating images--from a picture of a 1920s-era Lilly sales team to a photo of the very first Lilly lab in Indianapolis (pictured here).

Another important discovery that we unearthed? Our deep history in social responsibility that has been embedded into our company’s history and culture. In 1906, Lilly rushed to deliver medical supplies in the wake of a devastating earthquake in San Francisco; over a hundred years later, we’ve expanded our efforts worldwide through our Connecting Hearts Abroad program and campaigns to fight tuberculosis and non-communicable diseases. 

Explore our Facebook page to look through 136 years of Lilly history. Let us know what you think -- we hope you enjoy our online time machine.