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10,000 BCE
First Permanent Settlements
Hunter-gatherers at this time would move between various temporary shelters, and led neither a nomadic nor a settled lifestyle. However, they often gathered a large amount of grain, which they did not want to leave unguarded, and it was for this reason that people began to permanently settle. They built huts where they could store their food, and this storage of grain ended up leading to the discovery of beer. This permanent settling also paved the road to the emergence of farming. -
9000 BCE
Emergence of Agriculture
As the human population grew, and the amount of available food diminished, the demand for a new food source increased. Nomadic people began to transition from hunting and gathering to farming. They deliberately cultivated crops in order to maintain a steady amount of food and beer. This ultimately led people to settle into villages, and marked the beginning of the Neolithic Period. -
4300 BCE
Urban Revolution
Due to the vulnerability of attacks and the desire to be close to religious and trading centers, people began to band together forming towns and eventually cities. The formation of these cities was possible due to a surplus of crops, particularly grain. Grain was used as a currency, as well as being an important part of the national diet in the forms of bread and beer. The first cities were located in Mesopotamia, but Egyptian cities developed soon after. -
3400 BCE
Origination of Writing
As society became more complex, there became a need to record the inventory of storehouses, tax receipts, and wage lists. Cities such as Sumer and Uruk began recording these lists by using tokens, but eventually switched to clay tablets. Symbols were scratched into the tablets using a stylus, and this was the earliest form of writing. One of the most common symbols was for beer, and this symbol was used on documents of many different purposes, since beer was important and had various uses. -
2100 BCE
First Use of Alcohol in Medicine
The Mesopotamian and Egyptian people both came to the discovery that beer had a link to health, and began using it in medicine. It was less likely to be contaminated than water, so it was safer, and was used as a sedative as well as in many herbal remedies to cure various maladies. Although beer is not necessarily prescribed for modern medical issues, alcohol is still frequently used in medicine today. -
600 BCE
Founding of Buddhism
During the 6th century BCE, Buddhism was founded by Siddhartha Gautama, who was born into a wealthy family but abandoned his lifestyle to achieve enlightenment through meditation. The beliefs of Buddhism include the concepts of karma, reincarnation, use of the eightfold path to reach enlightenment, and the four noble truths. Buddhist monks in China also encouraged the drinking of tea, as it helped with meditation. Buddhism is now one of the world's largest religions, most prominent in East Asia. -
500 BCE
Formation of Democracy
During the Greece's golden age, Greek thinkers developed what eventually became modern systems of thought. Within the field of politics came democracy, where supporters of different policies could try to win over the people. Using democracy, the Greeks became a prosperous civilization where arguments were settled through rationalized thought. The symposion, where men drank wine as equals, serves as an analogy for democracy. Democracy took hold in Greece and is still used today in many nations. -
146 BCE
Rome Conquers Greece
During the 2nd century BCE, the Romans defeated the Greeks to become the leading Mediterranean power. The fall of Carthage and the sacking of Corinth marked Greece's defeat. However, much of Roman culture was modeled after that of Greece, including literature, art, and architecture. The sole exception was wine, as its consumption and cultivation gave the Romans a way to differ themselves from the Greeks. After Greece fell, the Roman empire prospered and would eventually become modern day Europe. -
50
Rise of Christianity
During the first millennium, a new monotheistic religion took hold: Christianity. An important part of Christianity was wine, which was a very popular drink in the Roman Empire. Wine became symbolic in Christianity, being used in rituals and mentioned many times in the bible. Christianity benefited the economy of Rome, as a large amount of wine was consumed by religious leaders. Although many Europeans first refused Christianity, it became, and still is, the dominant religion in most of Europe. -
395
Division of the Roman Empire
Soon after its golden age, the Roman empire began to decline due to weak emperors and invasions. In 365 CE, the empire was divided into two halves making it easier to rule. Western Rome soon fell, many aspects of Roman culture going with it, but cultural diffusion between Rome and the northern tribes who took over allowed Rome's wine drinking culture to be maintained. Western Rome later split into the kingdoms that became modern Europe, and Eastern Rome became the prosperous Byzantine Empire. -
610
Origins of Islam
In 610 CE, the prophet Muhammad was shown the teachings of the Qur'an and began to teach them to others. These teachings were first rejected, but Muhammad then gained a following. Islam became dominant in Arabia, the Middle East, Northern Africa, and Spain. The traditions of Islam include abstinence from alcohol, so the consumption of wine, the primary Mediterranean drink, was banned. As Islam spread, so did alcoholic prohibition, and Islam is now one of the world's most prominent religions. -
618
First Use of Paper Money
Although many goods such as beer and bread had been previously used as money, paper money was first used in China during the Tang Dynasty, which began in 618 CE. However, even though the paper bills were used in China, tea bricks were a preferred form of currency because their value increased as they got further from China, while paper money did the opposite. Paper money did not reach Europe until 500 years later, and now almost every country in the world has its own form of paper currency. -
1279
Mongols Take Over China
The Mongols were a group of nomads that ended up forming the world's largest connected land empire. They used superior military skills and fear to conquer empires, eventually controlling land from Hungary to Korea. After taking over China, the Mongols established the Yuan Dynasty, which ruled from 1279-1368. Their empire was very diverse and resulted in cultural diffusion, but the popularity of tea, a traditional Chinese drink, dropped during this time as it was not recognized by the Mongols. -
1430
Invention of the Printing Press
Although the Chinese had already begun printing, Europe saw the printing press for the first time when Johannes Gutenberg invented it in the 1430s. With it came printed books, including a 1478 distillation book, which became popular by 1500. Eventually distilled drinks like brandy, rum, and whiskey became popular as well. The printing press also helped ideas to be spread, for example during the Protestant Reformation, pamphlets could be spread explaining the discrepancies of the Catholic Church. -
1492
Columbus Discovers the New World
During the Age of Exploration, many European countries sent ships to establish colonies, wanting to expand their influence. Christopher Columbus ended up finding the New World while looking for a western passage to the East Indies, and sugar production began in South America because the land was ideal. Slaves were imported to help grow the sugar, beginning the African slave trade. Many different goods were traded for slaves, but the most precious were strong alcoholic drinks like brandy. -
Scientific Revolution
Until the 17th century, common "scientific" beliefs were based solely on faith and religion. However, when European thinkers began to challenge these beliefs, they created and developed theories now considered to be factual. The Protestant Reformation, reducing church authority, allowed existing secular beliefs to be questioned and for these rationalized experiments and observations to happen. This then led to the Enlightenment, where coffee, a drink of intellectuals, boosted reason and thought. -
Establishment of Jamestown
Due to believing that North America would have a similar climate to England and could be used to produce goods, England began to establish colonies there. In the first permanent settlement, Jamestown, the climate turned out to be harsher than expected. The colonists, struggling to live off the land and to obtain alcohol, turned to rum, as it was cheap and strong. Jamestown was the first of many colonies that would become the U.S, making its establishment extremely important in American history. -
Establishment of the London Penny Post
Beginning in 1680, a penny could be paid to receive mail in London and its nearby suburbs. It was common to use a coffeehouse as a mailing address, as coffeehouses were visited frequently by almost everyone at this time. News could now travel rapidly, sometimes in less than a day, and because it could travel so fast, conflicts were acted upon much quicker than before. Many countries also later created postal systems that were similar to the London Penny Post. -
Publishing of the Principia
In 1684, Edmond Halley spoke to Isaac Newton with the question of if an inverse-square law of gravity would induce elliptical orbits. The question had originated from a coffeehouse discussion, as many scientific questions did at the time. Proving it was the momentum Newton needed to publish the Principia. This book explained his law of universal gravitation, applying it to both celestial and earthly objects. Newton's work was groundbreaking and has been crucial to many fields of science. -
Passing of the Molasses Act
Due to their colonists using French molasses to make rum, England passed the Molasses Act, placing a prohibitive duty on foreign molasses. The British wanted the colonists to buy only British molasses, but the act was not enforced and was disliked by the colonists. When the act was not enforced, another was passed, as were more laws taxing goods. This defiance was an early step to American freedom, as the laws led the colonists to resent the British and ultimately led to the Revolutionary War. -
Industrial Revolution
In the 1760s, two new machines, the spinning frame and mill, were developed. These machines made it possible for goods to be made with unskilled workers and less labor, and were powered by water and steam. Factories full of machines were built, allowing goods like textiles to be rapidly produced. Tea became a popular drink, as it could help workers stay alert and concentrated during long shifts. The Industrial Revolution laid the foundation for mass production and machine-made goods everywhere. -
Financial Revolution
During the 1600s, coffeehouses functioned as stockmarkets, but were many drawbacks to this informal stock trading, so brokers were banished from coffeehouses. They created a new one, called The Stock Exchange, which was the predecessor of the London Stock Exchange and was created in a period of financial innovation. Shares were bought and sold, insurance schemes developed, and The Wealth Of Nations was published, written mostly in a coffeehouse. This revolution shaped the modern financial world. -
Boston Tea Party
England's Tea Act of 1773 was passed in order to reduce the colonists' price of tea, to stop the smuggling of foreign tea, and to give the East India Company a monopoly on tea. However, the American colonists did not want British goods or British interference with their trade. When the tea arrived in Boston, American protesters dressed as Indians threw all of it into the Boston Harbor. England then passed more coercive acts, angering the colonists and ultimately leading to the Revolutionary War. -
Revolutionary War
As England became increasingly more strict with its laws and taxes on its colonies, the colonists began to want freedom. Following the passing of the Molasses, Sugar, Townshend, and Tea Acts, the Revolutionary War broke out in 1775. Rum played a large role in the war, as taxes on molasses were part of the reason the war started. It was also the choice drink of the American soldiers during the war. When the British surrendered in 1781, the colonies became independent, forming the United States. -
The French Revolution
After aiding America in their revolution, France faced a financial crisis. There was also a large split between the rich, who were exempt from taxes, and the poor. The king couldn't sort out the finances, and fired the one member of the government trusted by the people. These injustices would be discussed at coffeehouses, and the French Revolution began at a coffeehouse when Camille Desmoulins made a speech and shouted to the crowd, "To arms!" France declined to chaos, and the revolution began. -
Passing of the Pure Food and Drug Act
Many foods and patent medicines in the early 1900s contained harmful additives. Public concern grew as activists spread awareness for the issue, and when Upton Sinclair published The Jungle. The Pure Food and Drug Act was passed in 1906, preventing the sale and manufacture of foods, drugs, and medicines that were poisonous or wrongly branded. The act challenged many existing brands, including Coca-Cola, and was a large step in improving the various social injustices of the early 1900s. -
The Great Depression
Following the Wall Street stockmarket crash in 1929, America entered a depression. Unemployment rates rose to almost 25%, people lost their homes, and banks everywhere shut down. At the same time, the plains of the central U.S experienced droughts and dust storms, killing crops and livestock. Many companies lost money or went out of business, but one company that prospered was Coca-Cola. The depression ended when World War II began, but to this day is the greatest economic crisis in U.S history. -
World War II
After World War I, many people thought it had been a mistake to get involved, and the United States adopted an isolationism policy, wanting to stay out of future conflicts. World War II then began in Europe when Germany invaded Poland, and the United States became involved when Japan attacked Pearl Harbor in 1941. Millions of men were sent overseas to fight in the war, and Coca-Cola was sent with them, as it reminded them of home. World War II ended in 1945 with the defeat of the Axis Powers. -
The Cold War
After World War I, Russia had become communist. It had now set up the Warsaw Treaty Organization to rival NATO, an American-European alliance. This began the Cold War. For decades, the United States and Soviet Union competed for influence as the Soviets tried to spread communism and the U.S tried to hinder it with capitalism. Coca-Cola came to represent democracy and freedom, or everything "wrong" with capitalism. The Cold War ended after the Berlin Wall fell and the Soviet Union broke apart. -
Falling of the Berlin Wall
After World War II ended, Germany was split into sectors, as was Berlin. When the Soviet Union blockaded West Berlin in 1948, the Western allies airlifted supplies in for a year. The Soviets then put up the Berlin Wall, separating East and West Berlin. The Berlin Wall finally fell in 1989, and as East Germans made crossed the border, they were greeted with Coca-Cola, a symbol of freedom. Soon after the Berlin Wall fell, communist nations across Europe, as well as the Soviet Union, collapsed.
