-
10,000 BCE
First Permanent Settlements
The end of the last ice age in a region known as the Fertile Crescent, due to its shape of geography was an ideal environment for wild animals, wheat, and barley. It's rich soils and abundance of wild animals led to the discovery of cereal grains that could be stored for years later.Cereal grains had unique properties leading to the discovery of beer.Therefore causing the first permanent settlements established on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean. -
8000 BCE
Storehouses to Temples
To keep a surplus of food, storehouses were needed. Or through the practice of religious activity, to call upon the gods for a good harvest. As the two activities were brought together deposits of surplus cereal grains became offerings to the gods and the storehouses were their temples. To make sure the villagers were contributing, the surplus was recorded using clay tokens. Resulting in the storehouses becoming temples that took part in religious activity. -
4300 BCE
First Cities (Uruk)
Villages began banding together forming towns and cities. Each city was at the center of it's system of irrigation channels and fields. Mesopotamia and Egypt shared this idea leading to great cities like Uruk in 3000 BCE and Thebes soon later. The surplus of food in these great cities funded public works like canals and pyramids. Grain was the national diet in Egypt and Mesopotamia, an edible payment in the form of beer and bread. -
3400 BCE
First Writing
The records of beer and history began in Sumer, part of southern Mesopotamia where writing first came to be. The Epic of Gilgamesh is an example of this, where beer drinking Mesopotamians separated them from barbarians. Writing in Mesopotamia depicts drunkenness from beer as humorous through stories. This led to Mesopotamians being seen as drunkards by other cultures. -
2737 BCE
Emperor Shen Nung
Shen Nung was second of China's emperors and credited with inventions of agriculture and discovery of medicinal herbs. It is said when he was using a wild tea bush for his fire, some of the tea leaves blew into the pot. Shen Nung found the resulting drink refreshing and delicate. This resulted in tea becoming a medicine and a common drink. -
2350 BCE
First Egyptian Writings
In Ancient Egyptian culture, varieties of beer are mentioned in the burial texts in pyramids near the end of the fifth dynasty.The Egyptians invented their own writing after Sumerians to log king events.One Egyptian story claims beer saved mankind from god Hathor by getting her intoxicated.In Egypt, their writings disapprove of drunkenness.Beer was found in Egypt to be written more times than any other type of food.As in Mesopotamia, beer was viewed as ancient and god given by the Egyptians. -
600 BCE
Founder of Buddhism
Siddhartha Gautama, also known as the Buddha, is the founder of Buddhism. Buddhism originated from India and spread around the world. Siddhartha created the eight fold path and the five noble truths to help others become enlightened. Buddhists during mediation used tea as invaluable aid since it enhanced concentration. Which improved meditation and cleared away fatigue in both Buddhism and Taoism. -
212 BCE
Sack of Greek Colony Syracuse
The sack of the Greek colony Syracuse, by Rome led to Rome taking on many aspects of Greek culture. Greek statues were brought to Rome triumphantly after the sack. Including cultivating vines, Greek philosophies, artistic and wine events. This caused the resulting wine in Rome to become a symbol of civilization. -
180
Death of Marcus Aurelius
Marcus Aurelius the emperor of Rome died from illness. The end of his reign is marked as the end of the golden age of Rome. A time of peace and prosperity was at an end. The last week of his life he only drank Falernian wine and consumed theriac. Wine was thought to have medicinal properties at the time. Marcus Aurelius's death was followed by a succession of emperors with almost none dying from natural causes. -
395
The Division of Rome
The empire of Rome was divided by Theodosius 1 into western and eastern halves while he was lying on his deathbed. The halves were each ruled by one of his sons in hopes to make it easier to defend. Resulting, the western empire soon fell apart, wine was still a common and a seemingly high sophisticated drink. -
410
Sack of Rome
A Germanic tribe called the Visigoths sacked Rome and created a kingdom that included most of of the western Gaul and Spain. Soon to come, the western empire was carved up into separate kingdoms. These northern tribes seemingly barbaric, did not displace wine however. Even though they removed much of Roman culture, the continuity of wine culture spread. -
570
Founder of Islams Birth
The prophet Muhammad started new teachings in Medina, but they were unpopular in Mecca where the Arab religion was dominant.Islam by the time of Muhammad's death came to be the main religion of Arabia. In Muhammad's teachings he prohibited wine and alcohol after he received divine word from Allah that wine and gambling are abominations.Leading to the Islam religion which made Arabia a power over other countries. -
618
Tang Dynasty
The Tang Dynasty is commonly regarded as a golden age in Chinese history. During this time period China was the largest and most populous empire in the world. The city was open to outside influences and trade flourished along the Silk Road. One of the reasons why the population grew is due to tea. As a result of drinking this it reduced waterborne diseases, reducing infant mortality, and increasing longevity. -
1440
Mass Slavery
Portuguese began to ship black slaves from the west coast of Africa. This caused a need for more slaves, so the Portuguese agreed to buy slaves from African traders in return for goods, like distilled spirits and other alcoholic drinks. Mass slavery was unseen like this in Europe since Roman times. As a result slavers made it seem logical to enslave the Africans because they did not qualify as to being fully human. -
1492
Discovery of the New World
The discovery of the New World by Christopher Columbus was an accident. Columbus had been looking for a westerly passage to the East Indies but landed on the Caribbean Islands instead. Columbus declared the islands well suited for sugar cane production. As a result the need for slaves increased. The African slavers would accept distilled drinks and a wide variety of other goods from the Europeans as payment for the slaves. -
1511
Prohibition of Coffee in Mecca
Coffee was attempted to be banned in Mecca because it was argued that it was intoxicating and should be subject to the same religious prohibition as alcohol. But within a few months Cairo overturned the governors ruling and drank coffee openly once again. This resulted in the governors replacement the following year and the legalization of coffee. -
Death of Pope Clement V111
Before Pope Clement V111 death he was asked the catholic churches position on coffee. While his advisers tried saying it was an evil drink meant for punishment against the Muslims, he had the final say. He decided to try it and approved its consumption for Christians. Resulting this approval coffee became a commonplace in western Europe. -
Oliver Cromwell's Death
Oliver Cromwell came to power at the end of the English civil war after the execution of King Charles 1. When Oliver Cromwell died, the public turned in favor of restoring the throne to Charles 11 in 1660. Many supporters of King Charles 11 gathered in coffeehouses during Cromwell's rule. It is said the king would not have gained the throne if it wasn't for the events that took place in coffee houses. -
Marriage of Charles 11 to Catherine Braganza
The marriage of Charles II to Catherine Braganza, daughter of King John IV of Portugal. Her dowry was enormous and brought the right to trade Portuguese possessions overseas, gold, and a chest of tea. She gave England the custom of drinking tea and easier access to the East Indies. This resulted in the British East India Company which eventually became a manifestation of British power in the East. -
Philosophae naturalis mathematica
The book, Mathematical Principals of Natural Philosophy was published by Isaac Newton. Newton demonstrated how universal gravitation could explain motions of earthly and celestial bodies. Oddly enough the spark of inspiration came from a heated coffee house discussion.The impact of his work regarded him as one of the greatest scientists in history -
Molasses Act
The Molasses Act was passed in London, Britain. The act taxed imported molasses from foreign countries to the North American colonies. But the British sugar production was nowhere close enough to meet the rum demands in New England's industry. As a result of this act most ignored it entirely and officers turned a blind eye. -
Industrial Revolution in Great Britain
The Industrial Revolution in Great Britain started with textile manufacturing then spread into other fields. They replaced laborers with machines that were powered by water and steam. Craftsmen who did a range of tasks were replaced by laborers who specialized in a single task to speed up productivity. Soon mill owners were granting the employees free tea breaks that kept workers alert on long shifts. As a result production soared and could be bought for cheap in abundance. -
Revolutionary War between Britain and Colonists
The Revolutionary War happened from the colonists disagreement and the unpopularity of the acts that were passed previously from the British Parliament. Including the Sugar Act, the Stamp Act, the Townshend Act, and the Tea Act. Once the fighting started rum was preferred drink of American soldiers that fought for independence. After the Revolutionary War, the colonists won their independence, becoming the United States of America. -
French Revolution
The French Revolution was set in motion by Camille Desmoulins. Desmoulins set it in motion because tensions were rising when Neckers dismissal was heard of, since he was the only member of government trusted by the people. The Revolutionaries struck fear that the army would soon massacre the crowd and Desmoulins jumped on a table outside a cafe and shouted ¨To arms, citizens! To arms!¨. The result was the French Revolution. -
Spanish and French defeat at Trafalgar
The Spanish and French defeat at Trafalgar was by the British. The British victory was partly due to the switching of drinks to grog aboard the ships. This led to a higher resistance to scurvy and helped the British fleet function better. As a result the British sailors became known as limeys and the French and Spanish lost the battle at Trafalgar. -
The Great Depression
The Great Depression followed the Wall Street stock market crash of 1929. The Great Depression was a downturn in the economy in which many lost their jobs. Some companies managed through the depression even prospering.Which Includes the Coca-Cola company by using appealing happy advertising while keeping the drink affordable even in times of crisis like the depression. -
Attack on Pearl Harbor
Japans attack on Pearl Harbor brought the United States into World War II. This caused many American armed forces to go out into the world. Coca-Cola was supplied to the men after exercises as a non-alcoholic drink that was refreshing. This led to the boost of soldiers morale and reminded them of home while away at war. -
Allied Victory in WW2
The eventual allied victory in WW II against the Axis powers led the United States to become a global power. During this war Coca -cola acted as a symbol of American patriotism. Which caused many nations to turn away from it after losing the war. This resulted in the military bottle organizations staying in place for three years ensuing period of reconstruction. -
NATO
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization was an alliance between the United States and its European allies. The setting up of the Warsaw Treaty Organization by the Soviet Union set up long military deadlock for the cold war. At this period the countries fought for influence in many parts of the world. This resulted in Coca-cola becoming associated with freedom and democracy but among communists it stood for everything that was wrong with capitalism. -
The Fall of the Berlin Wall
The Berlin Wall falling helped the collapse of communist regimes in Eastern Europe. As East Germans came through the cracks in the wall they were greeted with Coca-cola and everything else that showed western consumerism. Televisions, refrigerators, and other consumer products were most sought out after by the East Berliners. This caused the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991.
