The history of Coca-Cola is arguably tied with the history of the city of Atlanta. The famed "curvy" Coca-Cola bottle celebrated its 100th birthday earlier this year, and the global company is celebrating another major anniversary this week.

The first Coca-Cola fountain drink was sold 129 years ago on May 8, 1886 in Jacob’s Pharmacy in Atlanta, Ga., and if you’ve ever been on a World of Coca-Cola tour, you know the rest is history.

This year is also the 30th anniversary of the unveiling of "New Coke," which is often referred to as one of the biggest blunders in the history of American business.

Many of the inner workings of Coca-Cola has been enveloped in mystery, most famously the closely-guarded secret of its trademark formula. In 2011, "This American Life" rediscovered a list of ingredients within the archives of The Atlanta Journal and Constitution from 1979. The then-spokeswoman denied that the code was cracked.

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Ernie Suggs, a reporter at the AJC since 1997, reviews a selection of articles he has contributed to during his time with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, as of Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2025. (Miguel Martinez/AJC)

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University of Georgia students are seen entering and leaving the main Library on the Athens campus on Monday, Sept. 8, 2025. (Miguel Martinez/AJC)

Credit: Miguel Martinez-Jimenez