The Coca-Cola Company Timeline

The Coca-Cola Company 24

1886 First Coca-Cola served Jacobs' Pharmacy, Atlanta — May 8, 1886 Pharmacist John Stith Pemberton brought his flavoured syrup to Jacobs' Pharmacy in downtown Atlanta on May 8, 1886, where it was mixed with carbonated water and sold for five cents a glass. About nine drinks a day were sold in the first year.
1886 First Coca-Cola advertisement Atlanta Journal, May 29, 1886 Pemberton ran the first advertisement for Coca-Cola in the Atlanta Journal on May 29, 1886. His bookkeeper Frank M. Robinson had named the drink, choosing the alliterative name from its two main ingredients — coca leaves and kola nuts — and penned the flowing Spencerian script logo still used today.
1888 Pemberton sells to Candler Asa Griggs Candler takes control As his health declined, John Pemberton sold portions of his business before his death in 1888. Atlanta businessman Asa Griggs Candler acquired complete ownership of the formula and brand for a total of $2,300 — one of the greatest bargains in business history.
1892 Coca-Cola Company incorporated Formally incorporated in Georgia, 1892 Asa Candler formally incorporated The Coca-Cola Company as a Georgia corporation in 1892, capitalised at $100,000. He focused on aggressive marketing and expanded distribution beyond Atlanta, building Coca-Cola into a national brand.
1894 First Coca-Cola bottling Joseph Biedenharn bottles Coke in Mississippi Impressed by growing demand, Joseph Biedenharn installed bottling machinery at his Mississippi soda fountain in 1894, becoming the first to put Coca-Cola in bottles and making the beverage portable for the first time.
1895 Sold in every US state National distribution achieved by 1895 By 1895, Candler declared in his annual report that Coca-Cola was being sold and consumed in every state and territory of the United States, just nine years after the first glass was poured in Atlanta.
1899 Bottling rights sold for $1 National bottling network established In 1899, Candler sold the exclusive rights to bottle Coca-Cola across most of the United States to Benjamin Thomas and Joseph Whitehead for just $1. He never collected the dollar. This contract had no fixed duration, locking in the 5-cent price until 1959.
1915 Contour bottle designed Iconic curved bottle introduced 1915 The distinctive contour bottle — designed by the Root Glass Company of Terre Haute, Indiana — was introduced in 1915 to distinguish Coca-Cola from imitators. Its unique shape could be recognised even in the dark or when broken. It became one of the most recognised objects in history.
1919 Company sold for $25 million Ernest Woodruff acquires Coca-Cola In 1919, The Coca-Cola Company was sold to a group of investors led by Atlanta banker Ernest Woodruff for $25 million — then the largest transaction in the history of the American South. The company was soon reincorporated under Delaware law.
1923 – 1955 Robert Woodruff era Transforms Coca-Cola into a global brand Robert W. Woodruff became president of Coca-Cola in 1923 and led the company for over three decades. He introduced six-bottle cartons, vending machines and coolers, supplied Coca-Cola to every US soldier in WWII for 5 cents regardless of cost, and began international expansion.
1929 Coca-Cola cooler introduced First standardised cooler for retailers The Glascock Brothers cooler — the first standardised ice cooler designed specifically for Coca-Cola — was introduced in 1929, making the drink reliably cold and dramatically boosting retail sales.
1941 "Coke" trademark registered Nickname trademarked in 1945 The nickname "Coke" was first used in advertising in 1941 and officially registered as a trademark in 1945. Woodruff had initially resisted the nickname but came to embrace it as a powerful companion brand to "Coca-Cola".
1943 – 1945 Coca-Cola supplied to WWII troops 64 bottling plants built near front lines Robert Woodruff pledged that every US soldier would get a Coca-Cola for 5 cents wherever they were in the world, regardless of cost to the company. The US government supported this as a morale booster, and 64 bottling plants were built near the front lines, introducing Coke to the world.
1955 McDonald's partnership begins Exclusive soft drink deal, 1955 Coca-Cola partnered with the newly franchised McDonald's restaurant chain in 1955 to supply branded soft drinks — an exclusive partnership that would last decades and help both companies grow into global icons.
1960 Minute Maid acquired Enters the juice market Coca-Cola acquired the Minute Maid Corporation in 1960, entering the citrus juice market and beginning the diversification beyond carbonated drinks that would eventually include water, sports drinks, teas and coffees.
1961 Sprite launched Lemon-lime drink enters market Coca-Cola launched Sprite in the United States in 1961, initially to compete with 7-Up. It grew to become one of the world's best-selling soft drinks.
1975 Pepsi Challenge launched Cola Wars begin in earnest PepsiCo launched the "Pepsi Challenge" blind taste tests in 1975, showing that many consumers preferred the taste of Pepsi. The campaign ignited the Cola Wars — one of the most competitive marketing rivalries in business history — and directly led to New Coke a decade later.
1985 New Coke launched and withdrawn Biggest marketing blunder in history On April 23, 1985, Coca-Cola replaced its original formula with "New Coke" — a sweeter recipe designed to beat Pepsi in blind tests. The public backlash was immediate and furious. On July 10, 1985, the company restored the original formula as "Coca-Cola Classic" in what became one of the most famous marketing disasters ever.
1986 Coca-Cola centennial Worldwide celebration in Atlanta, 1986 Coca-Cola marked its 100th anniversary on May 8, 1986 with a worldwide celebration centred in Atlanta. The Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation was created as a joint programme between the company and its bottlers, awarding college scholarships to students across the US.
1993 Polar bear ad debuts Iconic "Northern Lights" campaign The beloved Coca-Cola polar bear was introduced in the television commercial "Northern Lights" in 1993. The bear became one of the most enduring and recognisable mascots in advertising history, appearing in every subsequent holiday campaign.
1996 Atlanta Olympics sponsorship Home city hosts the Games The Centennial Olympic Games were held in Atlanta in 1996 — Coca-Cola's home city. The company had been a sponsor of the Olympics since 1928, the longest continuous corporate sponsor in Olympic history. Coca-Cola created "Olympic City" in Atlanta to entertain fans.
1999 Dasani water launched Enters the bottled water market Coca-Cola launched Dasani purified water in the United States in 1999, entering the fast-growing bottled water market. In the UK the launch in 2004 was famously derailed when it emerged the product was purified tap water.
2013 "Share a Coke" campaign Personal names replace the Coca-Cola logo The "Share a Coke" campaign — replacing the Coca-Cola logo on bottles with 150 popular first names — was launched globally in 2013. It became one of the most successful marketing campaigns in the company's history, boosting sales for the first time in over a decade.
2021 Real Magic brand platform New global identity launched Coca-Cola launched its "Real Magic" brand platform in 2021 with a refreshed visual identity and global campaign, the first major brand refresh in five years. It emphasised human connection and magic in everyday moments.