Coca-Cola is a carbonated soft drink sold in stores, restaurants, and vending machines throughout the [1] world.

It is produced by The Coca-Cola Company of Atlanta, Georgia, and is often referred to simply as Coke (a registered trademark of The Coca-Cola Company in the United States since March 27, 1944). Originally intended as a patent medicine when it was invented in the late 19th century by John Pemberton, Coca-Cola was bought out by businessman Asa Griggs Candler, whose marketing tactics led Coke to its dominance of the world soft-drink market throughout the 20th century. The company produces concentrate, which is then sold to licensed Coca-Cola bottlers throughout the world. The bottlers, who hold territorially exclusive contracts with the company, produce finished product in cans and bottles from the concentrate in combination with filtered water and sweeteners. The bottlers then sell, distribute and merchandise Coca-Cola to retail stores and vending machines. The Coca-Cola Company also sells concentrate for soda fountains to major restaurants and food service distributors. The Coca-Cola Company has, on occasion, introduced other cola drinks under the Coke brand name. The most common of these is Diet Coke, with others including Caffeine-Free Coca-Cola, Diet Coke Caffeine-Free, Coca-Cola Cherry, Coca-Cola Zero, Coca-Cola Vanilla, and special versions with lemon, lime or coffee. In 2013, Coke products could be found in over 200 countries worldwide, with consumers downing more than 1.8 billion company beverage servings each day.

HISTORY OF COCA-COLA

JOHN PEMBERTON The world has changed in many ways since pharmacist; John Stith Pemberton first introduced the refreshing taste of Coca-Cola in Atlanta, Georgia. The name and the product mean so many things to hundreds of Millions of consumers around the globe. Coca-Cola products are served more than 705 million times every day, quenching the thirsts of consumers in more than 195 countries in every climate. That's a long way to come after such a modest beginning. May1886 - Pemberton concocted caramel-colored syrup in a three-legged brass kettle in his backyard. He first "distributed" the new product by carrying Coca-Cola in a jug down the street

to Jacobs Pharmacy. For five cents, consumers could enjoy a glass of Coca-Cola at the soda fountain. Whether by design or accident, Carbonated water was teamed with the new syrup, producing a drink that was Proclaimed "Delicious and Refreshing." Dr. Pemberton's partner and bookkeeper, Frank M. Robinson, suggested the name and penned, in the unique flowing script that is famous worldwide today. 1886 - Sales of Coca-Cola averaged nine drinks per day. That first year, Dr. Pemberton sold 25 gallons of syrup, shipped in bright red wooden kegs. Red has been a distinctive color associated with the No. 1 soft drink brand ever since. 1891 - Atlanta entrepreneur Mr. Candler had acquired complete ownership of the Coca-Cola business for $2,300. Pemberton was forced to sell because he was in a state of poor health and was in debt. Within four years, Candler's merchandising flair helped expand consumption of Coca-Cola to every state and territory. 1917 3 Million Coke's sold per day. "COCA-COLA" is the worlds most

recognized trademark. 1919 - The Coca-Cola Company was sold a group of investors for $25 million. 1923 - The Coca-Cola Company was sold after the Prohibition Era to Ernest Woodruff for 25 million dollars. He gave Coca-Cola to his son, Robert Woodruff, who would be president for six decades. Woodruff's leadership took the business to unrivaled heights of commercial success, making Coca-Cola an institution the world over. During the Woodruff era, Mr. Woodruff made a promise to the armed forces of the United States to supply Coca-Cola to every serviceperson. He said that costs and location did not matter; he supplied 5 billion bottles to the service. 1927 - The first Coca-Cola radio advertisement. 1928 - Sales of bottled Coca-Cola surpassed fountain sales for the first time. 1943 On June 29, an urgent cablegram arrived from General Dwight Eisenhower's Allied Headquarters in North Africa, requesting 10 Coca-Cola bottling plants to serve American servicemen overseas. Eventually, 64 plants were set up during WWII.

In 1945, day..

sales volume was increased to 6 million Cokes bottles per

1950 - Advertising on the television began. Currently Coca-Cola is advertised on over five hundred TV channels around the world. 1961 - Sprite was introduced.

In 1971,

. The song "I'd like to Buy the World a Coke" was released.

In 1977, the unique contour bottle, familiar to consumers everywhere, is granted registration as a trademark by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, an honor awarded to only a few other packages

1978 - The two liter bottle was introduced, and during that same year the company also introduced plastic bottles
In 1982, Diet Coke was introduced in July. In 1985, The Coca-Cola Company made what has been known as one of the biggest marketing blunder. They stumbled onto a new formula in efforts to produce diet Coke. They put 4 million dollars of research to come up with the new formula. In 1988, Coca-Cola became the first independent operator in Soviet Union.

In 1993 - Coca-Cola exceeds 10 Billion cases sold worldwide. . The company also started its advertisement with new slogan of "Always Coca-Cola".
In 1995, Coke was consumed aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery -- marking the third trip into space for Coca-Cola and the first for Diet Coke.

In 1996, The Summer Olympics was held in Atlanta, Georgia, the home of Coca-Cola. For more than 65 years, Coca-Cola has been a sponsor of the Olympics. In 1997, World of Coca-Cola Las Vegas opens, complete with a hundred-foot-tall Coca-Cola contour bottle. The Coca-Cola Company sponsors the Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan, marking the 70th anniversary of the Company's Olympic partnership. New products Citra and Surge hit the market. And M. Douglas Ivester was named chairman of the Board of Directors and chief executive officer of The Coca-Cola Company. He was the tenth chairman of the board in the Company's history. In 1998, Sales of Coca-Cola and other Company products exceed 1 billion servings per day. In 2005 they planned to launch a Diet Coke product sweetened with the artificial sweetener sucralose, the same sweetener currently used in Pepsi One. On March 21, 2005, it announced another diet product, Coca-Cola Zero, sweetened partly with a blend of aspartame and acesulfame potassium. In 2007, Coca-Cola began to sell a new "healthy soda": Diet Coke with vitamins B6, B12, magnesium, niacin, and zinc, marketed as "Diet Coke Plus.