In 1886, a pharmacist named John Pemberton was trying to create a tonic for people who were tired, nervous, or had sore teeth. In a large kettle, he mixed up a medicinal syrup. At first, he mixed it with cold water, and thought it was good. When he went back for more, his assistant has mistakenly mixed carbonated water in the second batch, which made it fizzy – just as it is today. Although it took a while for it to catch on (it cost Pemberton more to promote it than he made off it), eventually Coca-Cola became a beverage sold around the world.
Slow Start
Only 25 bottles of Coca Cola were sold the first year – for a total of $50 (supplies and advertising ran $70).
Lettie Pate Whitehead
1934 – Lettie Pate Whitehead was the 1st American woman to serve as a director of a major corporation, The Coca-Cola Company.
Coca-Cola cure for rust…
Forget those expensive rust removers. Just saturate an abrasive sponge with Coca Cola and scrub the rust stain. The phosphoric acid in the coke is what gets the job done.