In 1898, John Breck, a fireman with the Chicopee, Massachusetts, Fire Department, became the youngest fire chief in America.

Personally, however, Breck was troubled. He was only 21 years old and was already losing his hair.

In those days, there was no Rogaine, no Hair Club for Men, not even even much shampoo. Most Americans washed their hair with the same bar of soap they used on their bodies.

Breck was unwilling to accept his hair loss, so he began taking chemistry classes at Amherst College in his spare time, determined to find a cure.

He earned a doctorate, and opened a scalp treatment center where he used his own liquid shampoo.

Breck never did discover the cure for hereditary baldness, but he did introduce modern shampoo to the American public.