John S. Pemberton

John S. Pemberton was born on January 8, 1831. John's parents were James Clifford Pemberton and Martha L. Gant. He was born in Knoxville, Georgia. When he was young, his family moved to Columbus, Georgia. In 1850,he graduated from Southern Botanico Medical of Georgia. He practiced shortly as a Thomsonian "steam doctor". Steam doctors used herbs, baths and other products which they believed would restore people's bodies to full health. Later after that, he got a degree in pharmacy from a school in Philadelphia. After college, he met Anna Eliza Clifford Lewis and married her. They had a son named Charles Ney Pemberton.

John S. Pemberton (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Pemberton)

John Pemberton was wounded in the Battle of Columbus, Georgia in April 1865. He was assigned as the first lieutenant in the Confederate Army. He organized a defense to guard the town which was called Pemberton's Calvary. He was shot and cut in the chest by a sword. Five years after the war ended, Mr. Pemberton worked as an aid with Dr. Austin Walker. Dr. Walker was a local and rich physician. While working for him, Mr. Pemberton invested his money in researching and developing his own items, which included perfumes and natural medicines.

In 1869, he moved to Atlanta, Georgia, which is where he made Coca Cola. His recipe in 1886 included a stimulant extract of cola leaves. In 1905, the recipe was changed with a recipe to the modern beverage back then. It was then popular in 200 countries. This was his first popular drink. In 1885, John Pemberton took out the alcohol out of the drink. The other ingredients he added were cola nuts which add the caffeine, and syrup to replace the alcohol. On May 18, 1886, John Pemberton wanted to make the last, final recipe for his drink. His partner, Frank Robinson, came up with the logo and the name "Coca Cola". Coca Cola was first served at Jacob's Pharmacy in Atlanta, Georgia.

John Pemberton's financial problems got in the way of his business. He had to sell, trade, and give away parts of the company. Coca Cola soon became one of the most wealthy organizations in the United States. John S. Pemberton died on August 16, 1888. The cause was stomach cancer. When he died, he had unfinished formulas that he was still working on. He also developed the first laboratory in the country. He had it to run tests on soil and crop chemicals. When he died, the Georgia Department of Agriculture took over his lab.

Statue of John S. Pemberton at the World of Coca (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Pemberton)

John Pemberton is my hero because he created Coca Cola. He provided the world with an awesome soft drink that everyone would love. Without him creating the formula, there would be a lot of drug addicts all over the world. Due to the Coca Cola formula, he has made the starting point for more soft drinks. He created the first soft drink which lead to other soft drinks. Coca Cola led to the production of Sprite, Diet Coke and Fanta. Without Pemberton we wouldn't have the variety we have today, if we had any at all.