National Have a Coke Day

The first glass of Coca-Cola was sold on May 8, 1886, at Jacobs' Pharmacy in Atlanta, Georgia. It cost five cents. The man who made it, Dr. John Pemberton, was a Confederate veteran wounded in the Civil War and addicted to morphine. He created the formula as a patent medicine.

From that single soda fountain, Coca-Cola grew into a product consumed 1.9 billion times every day across more than 200 countries. The company reported $47.9 billion in net revenue in 2025. National Have a Coke Day falls on the anniversary of that first sale.

John Stith Pemberton was a pharmacist and Confederate lieutenant colonel who was severely wounded at the Battle of Columbus in April 1865. Like many veterans of the era, he became addicted to morphine during recovery. He began experimenting with coca-based tonics as an alternative, eventually producing the syrup he called Coca-Cola.

The name was coined by Pemberton's bookkeeper, Frank M. Robinson, who combined the two key ingredients: coca leaves and kola nuts. Robinson also designed the flowing Spencerian script logo that remains largely unchanged today. On May 8, 1886, the syrup was mixed with carbonated water and sold at Jacobs' Pharmacy in Atlanta for five cents a glass.

From pharmacy tonic to global brand

Pemberton sold portions of his business to multiple partners while in declining health. In 1888, Atlanta businessman Asa Griggs Candler acquired full ownership for approximately $2,300. Candler incorporated The Coca-Cola Company in 1892 and systematically transformed the product from a patent medicine into a refreshment brand. His most effective tactic was distributing coupons redeemable for free glasses of Coca-Cola at soda fountains, building a consumer base through direct sampling.

In 1891, Joseph Biedenharn of the Biedenharn Candy Company in Vicksburg, Mississippi, bottled Coca-Cola for the first time, making the drink available beyond pharmacy counters. Large-scale bottling followed when two Chattanooga lawyers, Benjamin Thomas and Joseph Whitehead, secured exclusive bottling rights in 1899 for a fixed price with no royalties.

The contour bottle and the cocaine question

The original formula contained extract from coca leaves, which at the time included trace amounts of cocaine. The company gradually reduced the amount and in 1903 replaced fresh coca leaf extract with a decocainized version, fully removing the drug. The formula has been a trade secret ever since, reportedly stored in a vault at the World of Coca-Cola museum in Atlanta.

In 1915, the Root Glass Company of Terre Haute, Indiana, designed the contour bottle. The brief called for a bottle recognizable by touch in the dark or when broken on the ground. The resulting design, inspired by the shape of a cocoa pod, became one of the most recognized packaging designs in commercial history.

Global expansion

Coca-Cola's international presence accelerated during World War II. General Dwight Eisenhower requested bottling plants near military operations so that every soldier could buy a Coke for five cents. The company built 64 portable bottling plants that followed troops across Europe and the Pacific. By the war's end, Coca-Cola had established distribution infrastructure across the globe.

The nickname "Coke" was officially trademarked in 1944. By 1955, the beverage was available in cans. Today, Coca-Cola products are sold in more than 200 countries. Approximately 1.9 billion servings are consumed daily. The company reported $47.9 billion in net revenue in 2025, and holds roughly 45% of the US carbonated soft drink market.