History of Coca‑Cola

History of Coca‑Cola: 1919-1940
The Woodruff legacy

Perhaps no person had more impact on The Coca‑Cola Company than Robert Woodruff. In 1923, four years after his father Ernest purchased the company from Asa Candler, Woodruff became the company's president. While Candler had introduced the US to Coca‑Cola, Woodruff would spend more than 60 years as company leader introducing the beverage to the world beyond.

Woodruff was a marketing genius, who saw opportunities for expansion everywhere. He led the expansion of Coca‑Cola overseas and in 1928 introduced Coca‑Cola to the Olympic Games for the first time when Coca‑Cola travelled with the US team to the 1928 Amsterdam Olympics. Woodruff pushed development and distribution of the six-pack and many other innovations that made it easier for people to drink Coca‑Cola at home or away. This new thinking made Coca‑Cola not just a huge success, but a big part of people's lives.

History of Coca‑Cola: 1882-1892
History of Coca‑Cola: 1893-1904
History of Coca‑Cola: 1905-1918
History of Coca‑Cola: 1919-1940
History of Coca‑Cola: 1941-1959
History of Coca‑Cola: 1960-1981
History of Coca‑Cola: 1982-1989
History of Coca‑Cola: 1990-1999
History of Coca‑Cola: 2000-Now