Coca-Cola Sells First: A Global Brand Is Born
John Pemberton, an Atlanta pharmacist and former Confederate officer addicted to morphine, first sold Coca-Cola at Jacob's Pharmacy on May 8, 1886, as a patent medicine for headaches and fatigue. The original formula contained coca leaf extract (a source of cocaine) and kola nut (a source of caffeine). The cocaine was removed around 1903, though the Coca-Cola company still uses a de-cocainized coca leaf extract for flavoring. Pemberton sold the formula to Asa Griggs Candler for $2,300 in 1887 and died penniless a year later. Candler built the company into a national brand through innovative advertising. Today, Coca-Cola sells 1.9 billion servings daily across 200 countries. The exact formula, known as "Merchandise 7X," is kept in a vault at the World of Coca-Cola museum in Atlanta.
May 8, 1886
140 years ago
Key Figures & Places
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