Panasonic was founded in 1918 by Konosuke Matsushita as a vendor of duplex lamp sockets.[7] In 1927, it began producing bicycle lamps, the first product which it marketed under the brand name National.
During World War II the company operated factories in Japan and other parts of Asia which produced electrical components and appliances such as light fixtures, motors, electric irons, wireless equipment, and its first vacuum tubes.[8]
After the war, Panasonic regrouped as a Keiretsu and began to supply the post war boom in Japan with radios and appliances, as well as bicycles. Matsushita's brother-in-law, Toshio Iue, founded Sanyo as a subcontractor for components after World War II. Sanyo grew to become a competitor to Panasonic, but was later acquired by Panasonic in December 2009.
In 1961, Konosuke Matsushita traveled to the United States and met with American dealers. The company began producing television sets for the U.S. market under the Panasonic brand name, and expanded the use of the brand to Europe in 1979.