Carbonated Photos from the History of Coca-Cola

Confederate Colonel John Pemberton was addicted to morphine and was looking to create a substitute when he created the original drink. First, he patented Pemberton's French Wine Coca nerve tonic, but during 1886's Prohibition, he released a non-alcoholic version he named Coca-Cola.

Coca-Cola was marketed as the temperance drink that claimed it could cure many diseases, like morphine addiction, indigestion, nerve disorders, and even impotence. It was sold at pharmacies for 5 cents per glass right when carbonated drinks were starting to take over the world thanks to soda fountains.

From its creation in 1886 to 1959, Coca-Cola's price was fixed at 5 cents. That was an incredible feat, but things weren't going so smoothly internally. At the time, nobody knew this invention would change the world, so a lot of commercial agreements weren't signed. Pemberton died a few years after creating the drink, and his son couldn't be trusted, so everyone else wanted a piece of Coca-Cola. After years of issues, in 1919, the Coca-Cola Company was purchased by a trust company, and Robert W. Woodruff was elected President. 

At first, Coca-Cola didn't want to be associated with “Coke,” which they feared would turn into a generic trademark. They weren't wrong, but after a while, they embraced the term and even trademarked it for themselves in 1945.

Two entrepreneurs convinced the Coca-Cola owner in 1899 to leave the bottling to them, and a new, barely legal agreement was born. This sparked a lot of issues involving a lot of parties over the decades. In the end, Coca-Cola Enterprises merged with the Johnston Coca-Cola Bottling Group, Inc. in 1991.

In 1935, rabbi Tobias Geffen certified Coca-Cola as kosher. Geffen was the first person outside the company to see the secret ingredients. The drink was facing scrutiny from the Jewish community and had to act fast before losing clients. They made minor changes in the sourcing of some ingredients to comply.

In 1985, the formula was changed, and Coke II was released to the public. Also known as ‘New Coke,' it was liked by many, but a lot of people were nostalgic for the classic flavor. Coca-Cola decided to keep the old and the new versions in the market, but finally discontinued the New Coke in 2002.

Coca-Cola became a worldwide phenomenon in no time. It arrived in Great Britain in the year 1900, with billboards and everything, and the Cuba Libre (rum and Coke) was created in Havana around the same time. Some Asian territories also got Coca-Cola early, but most Europeans and South Americans got it after World War II. It is said that Coca-Cola was seen as a symbol of American power due to this.

The original Coca-Cola glass that cost 5 cents had around 9 milligrams of cocaine in it.

Coca-Cola has created more than 30 different flavors since the '80s. Most of these were limited editions, but others, like the Coca-Cola Zero, are still around to this day.

Coca-Cola not only revolutionized with its flavor, but also its presentation. When they started to bottle the drink, they also started selling it in six packs, and many ads show house parties full of Coca-Cola bottles.

Coca-Cola ads often mirror American society, and they were everywhere. In 1982, Coca-Cola bought Columbia Pictures and started adding bottles to every production until they sold it to Sony in 1989. Holiday campaigns are the best regarded, and a common misconception credits the brand for the modern image of Santa Claus. While that's not entirely true, Coca-Cola is clearly influential in many ways.