John S. Pemberton

John S. Pemberton was a chemist by trade. Due to a wound he medicated himself and that became an ingredient in a product he created. during this time the Civil War was being fought in the south and the statue of liberty was being built 800 miles away.

John S. Pemberton was born in the town of Knoxville, Georgia in 1831. He studied at a medical school and earned a medical degree at the age of 19. Two years after he graduated from college he married Miss. Ann Eliza Cifferd. Charles was the only child born to this couple. When his son was born, Mr. Pemberton was a Pharmacist. As a Pharmacist he made hair dyes and perfumes such as the ladies favorite “sweet southern bouquet.”

Pemberton went to the civil war and served as a Confederate lieutenant colonel. He was wounded and became addicted to cocaine and morphine. Because of his addiction to cocaine he added it to the concoction. A few years later because of the Prohibition Law of 1886 the drug had to be taken out of the wine. Five months later after the drug was taken out of the concoction it was reinvented as a soft drink. Before Coca-Cola was famous it was called ‘wine of Cola’ which was head ache remedy. This was when the soft drink was sweetened with sugar instead of wine. The name Coca-Cola was not the name until 1886. On March 4th of 1888 Coca-Cola was put in to the first bottle. It was first sold at a soda fountain in a small Pharmacy named Jacob’s for $0.05 a glass.

After 10 years Coca-Cola had a monument in Atlanta, Georgia. Now it is sold to 200 counties worldwide. Every time someone is thirsty they turn to Coca-Cola.

"John S. Pemberton"

Coca-Cola