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10,000 BCE
First Permanent Settlements
The first permanent Settlements like those established due east of the Mediterranean, are due to cereal grains. It was discovered that these grains, unlike other food sources at the time, could be stored for a long time. As a result tools were made, that maximized harvesting and carrying grains. Families began to gather lots of grain, that they would not want to leave behind. This resulted in the first permanent settlements. Soon after it was found out that cereal grains could be turned to beer. -
Period: 4300 BCE to 2000 BCE
The First Cities
As the Neolithic Revolution went on, villages began to merge together, forming larger villages, and eventually cities. Each city was surrounded by fields and irrigation systems, to ensure the food and beer supply never ran out. By 2000 BCE practically the entire population in southern Mesopotamia were living in cities. -
3400 BCE
The First Examples of Writing
The first examples of writing come after the worlds pictograms and symbols. The earliest documents do not reveal the origin of beer, but it is clear in these documents that the making of beer is closely relate to agriculture. Specifically the farming and domestication of cereal grains. -
2700 BCE
The First Great Literary Piece
Gilgamesh was the king of Sumer, who ruled around 2700 BCE. His life and stories were made into a common myth by the Sumerians, the Akkadians and Babylonians. The story tells of how a man is not truly human until he eats food and drinks beer. This story has been told for thousands of years and still is around today. -
2500 BCE
Construction of The Pyramids of GIza
The construction of the Great Pyramids of Giza. The Ancient Egyptians paid their workers in the form of beer. According to records found at a town close by, the standard ration was three or four loaves of bread, and eight American pints of beer. The creation of these pyramids served as the tomb for many Egyptian kings an queens, and is now one of the Seven Wonders of the World -
323 BCE
Death of Alexander the Great
Both Alexander the Great and his father Phillip II, were both known to be heavy drinkers. Alexander even killed his friend Clitus in a drunken brawl. Alexander died from a mysterious illness in 323 BCE. There is speculation, and some evidence that heavy wine drinking played a part in his death. -
150 BCE
Birth of the Roman Empire
Around the middle of the second century BCE the Romans became the dominant power around the Mediterranean. They had defeated the Greeks, but some would say they truly didn't win. Roman culture was basically copied from the Greeks. The constitution was taken off of the Greeks. Since Roman culture was so much like Greek culture, some would say that the Greeks really won. Although some Romans argued that they were too similar to the Greeks, the consumption of wine brought the two cultures together. -
33
The Last Supper
The Last Supper, was the last meal Jesus shared with his disciples before his crucifixion. During the Last Supper Jesus offered wine to all of his followers. This led to wines important role in the Eucharist, which is the main Christian ritual in which bread and wine symbolize Jesus' body and blood. -
395
The Division of the Roman Empire
After the golden age of the Roman Empire, or Pax Romana, there was a series of short-lived empires, who faced constant pressure from the barbarians to all sides of their empire. Emperor Theodosius while he lay dying, split the empire into two, and his sons ruled over them. Soon after the western half fell to the barbarians. This caused the availability and trade of wine to be disrupted, as the barbarians were in favor towards beer. -
570
Rise of Islam / Birth of the Prophet Muhammad
Muhammad was born around 570 CE. At the age of 40 Muhammad experienced a chain of visions in which the Koran was revealed to him by Allah. Muhammad's teachings made him leave Mecca, because the city's success depended on the Arab religion. Muhammad arrived in Medina and his following grew. When he died in 632 CE, Islam was the dominant faith in most of Arabia. This was not good for any type of alcohol, including wine, because it was banned in the religion, and the punishment was 40 lashings. -
Period: 1430 to 1439
Invention and Development of the Printing Press
The printing press was developed by Johannes Gutenberg in the 1430s. The first book that was printed about distillation, was made in 1478 by doctor Michael Puff von Schrick. One thing he said about spirits, specifically aqua vitae was that half a spoon of aqua vitae every single morning was enough to be rid of illness. This showed how important aqua vitae was to them -
1492
Discovery of the New World
Christopher Columbus was a explorer apart of the Age of Exploration, and he was looking for a western passage to the Indies, but instead he found the New World. He landed on the Caribbean Islands. He thought that the islands were perfect for growing sugar. Agriculture was booming on the Spanish islands and on South America, and the New World was found. The Spanish were importing slaves to do their work, and distilled drinks were the fuel behind this enormous trade. -
1512
Replacement of Kha'ir Beg
The governor of Mecca at the time Kha'ir Beg put coffee on trial. He had a jar of coffee sitting in front of a council where he discussed it's physical effects on man and thought that it should be banned. Coffee buyers and sellers were beaten for being associated with the drink. But in Cairo higher authorities overruled this decision. Coffee was being bought and sold freely again in Mecca. Kha'ir Beg was replaced as governor the next year -
Writing of the Principia
Sir Isaac Newton is know to write one of the greatest books in the history of science. It is the Mathematical principles of natural philosophy. It all started when a controversial conversation at a coffeehouse made scientist Edmond Halley wonder if planets orbits were consistent with a gravitational force that diminished with inverse square distance. He brought this up to Sir Isaac Newton and Newton made it his life work. He wrote the Principia about this and many other laws of physics -
The First Celebrity Endorsements
Josiah Wedgwood was the leader of a popular company who produced tea services. At the time the popularity of tea, made people want to buy tea services. Owning these services was of great importance. Wedgwood automated making these and could even compete with Chinese Porcelain. One day Queen Charlotte the wife of George III order a tea set from him. He got permission from the Queen to start replicating these sets and sell them under the name Queen's Ware. This was the first celebrity endorsement. -
First Modern Factory
Richard Arkwright was a British inventor. Ever since his youth he should that he was an innovator and a great mind. in 1767 he started to create the spinning frame. This machine would spin thread for weaving, but skilled workers were not needed, anyone could operate the machine. Two investors were so impressed that they gave Arkwright the funds he needed to build the first modern factory. Workers were given tea breaks, to ensure they stayed awake. Tea was the fuel for the Industrial Revolution. -
Start of the Society of Lloyds
As coffee houses were more popular than ever one had opened in London in the 1680's by Edward Lloyd. The coffeehouse became a meeting ground for ship captains, shipowners, and merchants who wanted to be caught up on the news. Lloyd's cafe became such a natural spot for these people that they began to rent booths at the cafe. One day 79 members created the Society of Lloyd's which survives to this day as the worlds leading insurance company. -
Boston Tea Party
The Boston Tea Party was a riot, in which three shiploads of tea were dumped into the Boston Harbor due to the new taxes. After the French Indian War, the British were in severe debt. They thought it was only fair to tax the colonists. This included the Tea Act of 1773, which resulted in the Boston Tea Party. The Boston Tea Party is often associated as the start of the Revolutionary War, and America's freedom. But the taxation of rum decades before fueled the colonists. -
Creation of the London Stock Exchange
As coffeehouses grew, some of them were made into stock markets. As stock trading became more popular the government passed an act to limit the amount of stock brokerages there could be. Too protest stock investors into the coffeehouses in the surrounding are and specifically Johnathan's. As it gained popularity rules were broken and some were banished out but controversy came. This caused a group to break away and move to a new building. They eventually named it the London Stock Exchange. -
Passing of the Coercive Acts
After the Boston Tea Party and the loss of tea from the British East India Company, a series of laws were passed in order to make up for the losses that the company faced. This shows how much of a grip the company had on Britain's Parliament. These acts were also passed to show Britain's authority over the colonies. This did quite the opposite and made them angry, causing the Revolutionary War to start in 1775. -
Establishment of the United States of America
The colonists made the United States of America after beating the British in the revolutionary war. The taxes on rum that were occurring for decades before the war fueled the fire in the colonists. They wanted a government that didn't tax their drinks. But when America was in debt because of the war the government ended up taxing whiskey causing many outrages in the nation. This made the federal government to go to Pittsburgh to show force and show the colonists what happens when they disobey. -
Start of the French Revolution
France was in a deep debt due to backing the Americans in the Revolutionary War. They taxed all but the wealthiest 2%. Coffeehouses were the grounds in which people spilled their minds and dreamed of how France should truly be. As turmoil grew King Louis XVI convened the States-General and sacked his financial administrator the last government official the people liked. Crowds grew outside Cafe de Foy and a man called everyone "To arms!" as they believed the army was coming. This started the war -
Defeat of Spanish and French Fleets at Trafalgar in 1805
The Royal Navy defeated the French and Spanish fleets in Trafalgar in 1805. Much of their success is due to their consumption of grog over beer. Grog was made from adding sugar and lime juice to rum. It was discovered Admiral Edward Vernon who decided that rum would be a substitute for beer on their voyages. Because of this change to grog the sailors were full of vitamin C so scurvy was no longer a monumental worry. This gave them the edge to defeat the French and Spanish at Trafalgar. -
First Professor of Chemistry
The first professor of chemistry who was located at Yale University, helped move soda water from a science project to commercial product. He went on a trip to Europe to collect books and info for his new department and saw the popularity of bottled soda water there. He was determined to be as successful as those were in London and he began to sell bottled soda water in New Haven, Connecticut. This was the beginnings of soda, and the eventual discovery of Coca-Cola. -
Discovery of Tea Plants in Assam
After the break up of the East India Company's Monopoly the head of the Company, who was also the governor general of India, had decided that China should not be their only reliable source of tea. So in India they sent expeditions to find where they could grow tea. They ended up finding bushes to tea in Assam. The company had trouble growing the tea efficiently, but with the help of explorer Charles Bruce they were able to automate the process. It was mismanaged until 1847 where Bruce was fired. -
Fall of the Chinese Empire
The Opium Wars were short and heavily favored to the British. The Chinese were no match for the European weapons and advancements. By the middle of 1842 Hong Kong had fallen, and Britain opened five ports for the free trade of all goods. The British took control of their trade, and was paid reparations for the war. The fall of China was due to tea's influence on Britain. -
Period: to
The Great Depression
After the crash of the Wall Street stock market, the Great Depression was brought. This was thought to be bad news for Coca-Cola. The stock market crashed, Coca-Cola's rival Pepsi Co began to rise as a company, and prohibition was repealed. Instead Coca-Cola was consumed more often during the Depression. It took place of coffee as a social drink. And it was acceptable to drink during any time of the day unlike alcohol. During the Depression Coca-Cola prospered. -
Pearl Harbor
After WW1, isolationists in the US argued that they should stay out of any future European conflicts. Even George Washington said in his farewell address that " It is our true policy to steer clear of permanent alliances with any portion of the foreign world." But when Japan attacked our naval base in Pear Harbor the US was brought into WW2, and Coca-Cola went with them. -
End of World War 2
Throughout the war Coca-Cola was brought with the soldier and they even set up bases to make Coca-Cola. The Axis Powers, thought of Coke as everything that was wrong with America. After the Allied victory in 1945 the military Coke bases stayed in place during the reconstruction that followed the War. But because of World War 2 and the soldiers love for Coca-Cola, it was established on every single continent except for Antarctica. -
Fall of the Berlin Wall
The fall of the Berlin Wall was the starting point for the fall of Communism and the Soviet Union. Throughout the Cold War, Coca-Cola was a symbol of capitalism so it failed to have business in communist regimes. This proved to be helpful to Coca-Cola. When the Berlin Wall fell an the East Germans came through the wall, they were greeted with new technology and Coke. In these new non-communist countries, Coca-Cola came to symbolize their freedom and the defeat of communism.
