Coca Cola Day
July 8
U.S. pharmacist John S. Pemberton invented Coca-Cola in 1886 and was a colonel in the Confederate army during the Civil War. After sustaining a war-injury, he became addicted to morphine and believed his tonic would combat his addiction. His bookkeeper, Frank Robinson invented the name. Robinson had beautiful handwriting, and his flowering script is still used today. Coca-Cola was first marketed as a nerve tonic that “relieves exhaustion.” The very first Coca-Cola products contained cocaine, about 9 milligrams per glass. It was removed from the drink in 1903. The original Coke was also alcoholic. Coca-Cola is the most widely distributed product on the planet. Coke’s brand is worth over $83.8 billion, which is more than KFC, Subway, and Budweiser combined. Mexicans drink more Coke than any other country in the world. Mexicans drink about 745 Coke beverages per year. Americans drink about 401 Coke products a year.
National Video Games Day
July 8
It was the 1960s when the first video games appeared. They were played on huge machines connected to vector displays. The first generation of video game consoles started in 1972, with Magnavox Odyssey that could be connected to a television set. These consoles were made of discrete transistors-based digital game logic, and objects on-screen drawn with very basic dots and lines. Video games are not just enjoyed by teens and kids. According to a report from the Entertainment Software Association, more than 72% of United States gamers are aged 18 or older, 31% of which are women. The console gaming segment is growing significantly. In 2017, Sony and Microsoft generated more than $14 billion in combined revenues from subscription, first-party games, and third-party game fees. The PS4 was responsible for a 51% share of the total console hardware market, while Xbox holds a 26% share.
Today’s Birthdays of Note….
John D. Rockefeller – Industry Mogul – born in Richford, New York
Toby Keith – Country Singer – born in Clinton, Oklahoma
