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Coca-Cola, or Coke, is a carbonated soft drink manufactured by the Coca-Cola
Company. Originally marketed as a temperance drink and intended as a patent
medicine, it was invented in the late 19th century by John Stith Pemberton in
Atlanta, Georgia.
The Origin of Coca-Cola
On May 8, 1886, Dr. John Pemberton sold the first glass
of Coca-Cola at Jacobs' Pharmacy in downtown Atlanta.
Serving nine drinks per day in its first year, Coca-Cola
was new refreshment in its beginning.
In July 1886, pharmacist John Stith Pemberton from Columbus,
Georgia invented the original Coca-Cola drink, which was advertised as
helpful in the relief of headache, to be placed on sale primarily in
drugstores as a medicinal beverage. Pemberton had made many
mixing experiments and reached his goal during the month of May, but
the new product was as yet unnamed and uncarbonated. Pemberton's
bookkeeper, Frank M. Robinson, is credited with naming the product
and creating its logo. Robinson chose the name Coca-Cola because of
its two main ingredients (coca leaves and kola nuts) and because it is
an alliteration. John Pemberton had taken a break and left Robinson to
make, promote, and sell Coca-Cola on his own. Robinson promoted
the drink with the limited budget that he had, and succeeded.
Revenue
(in mil. USD)
Year
Net income
(in mil. USD)
Price per Share
(in USD)
Employees
2008
31,944
5,807
26.91
92,400
2009
30,990
6,824
24.38
92,800
2010
35,119
11,787
28.26
139,600
2011
46,542
8,584
33.32
146,200
2012
48,017
9,019
37.06
150,900
2013
46,854
8,584
39.66
130,600
2014
45,998
7,098
40.84
129,200
2015
44,294
7,351
41.24
123,200
2016
41,863
6,527
43.54
100,300
2017
35,410
1,248
44.34
61,800
2018
34,300
6,434
45.41
62,600
2019
37,266
8,920
50.82
86,200
2020
33,014
7,747
49.95
80,300
•The logo is red because of old tax laws.
•The iconic bottle design was created to help Coke stand out from
its competitors.
•Coke really did contain cocaine at one point.
•Coca-Cola invented the six-pack.
•The company helped popularize open-top coolers.
 Since 1919, Coca-Cola has been a publicly traded company. Its stock is listed on the New
York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol "KO".
 One share of stock purchased in 1919 for $40, with all dividends reinvested, would have
been worth $9.8 million in 2012, a 10.7% annual increase adjusted for inflation.
 In 1987, Coca-Cola once again became one of the 30 stocks which makes up the Dow
Jones Industrial Average, which is commonly referenced as a proxy for stock market
performance; it had previously been a Dow stock from 1932 to 1935.
 Coca-Cola has paid a dividend since 1920 and, as of 2019, had increased it each year for
57 years straight.
 The Coca-Cola Company produces over 3 million tonnes of plastic packaging each year including 110
billion plastic bottles, and in 2021 it was declared the world's worst plastic polluter for the fourth year in a row
by the global coalition Break Free From Plastic.
 The company's global chief executive stated that Coca-Cola has no plans to reduce its use of plastic
bottles; and opposes bottle bill legislation. The head of sustainability Bea Perez has said they will continue to
use plastic, noting "customers like them because they reseal and are lightweight".
 As part of Coca-Cola's global initiative in UK "World Without Waste", the company has started rolling out new
versions of plastic bottles featuring an attached cap. In a statement made by Jon Woods, general manager at
Coca-Cola Great Britain, "This is a small change that we hope will have a big impact, ensuring that when
consumers recycle our bottles, no cap gets left behind,"