The Tragic Life of the Inventor of Coca-Cola



Considered one of the most known brands around the world, Coca-Cola has to be the second most consumed liquid in the world, with water being on top. Chances are, most people have no clue who invented the popular drink. John Pemberton graduated from the Reform Medical College of Georgia in 1848, and in 1850 he received his pharmacist license. A decade later in 1861, the Civil War broke out and Pemberton was recruited. After sustaining some major injuries, he got his first taste of morphine. When the war ended in 1865, Pemberton returned home, expecting his life to get back to normal, but he had no idea of just how much his life would change. He began working on a new medicated syrup that would help not only him overcome his addiction to morphine, but anyone who had an addiction to one of a variety of drugs. In 1885, he came up with something known as a coca wine, a drink that tasted like medication and contained alcohol. He started serving samples to some of his clients from the pharmacy and they seemed to like the drink. However, due to alcohol being prohibited in 1886, Pemberton was forced to remove the alcohol from his drink, and when he did he renamed it Coca-Cola. The drink was so acclaimed that Pemberton founded the Coca-Cola Company. He died penniless, but his recipe remains a closely guarded trade secret today.