From Rough Type, a WebLog by business prof Nicholas Carr:

You’ve probably never have heard of Washington Wentworth Sheffield, but you’ve almost certainly been relying on his invention ever since you were a child. He’s the guy who, back in 1892, created the toothpaste tube. Up to then, toothpaste had been sold in porcelain jars. A family would buy one, and every morning and evening mom, dad and all the little ones would stick their respective toothbrushes into it. Sheffield, a dentist, was disgusted by the unsanitary practice. Having seen flexible metal tubes used for food, he decided to find out if people would buy toothpaste dispensed the same way. He was soon a very wealthy man.