1885: The Doctor (Pepper) is in

Believe it or not, the soft drink, Dr Pepper is actually one year older than Coca-Cola, but their origin stories are similar. Created from 23 different flavors, the soda was made by Charles Alderton, a pharmacist who worked at Morrison’s Old Corner Drug Store in Waco, Texas. The U.S. Patent Office recognizes that the very first time that the soda was served was on this day in 1885 when Alderton offered his concoction to the store’s owner, Wade Morrison. Word soon got out about the new beverage. Eventually, Alderton gave the formula for the beverage to Morrison. (It is believed that the recipe was split in two with two halves stored in two different safe deposit boxes for extra safety.) Dr Pepper was introduced nationally during the Louisiana Purchase Exposition in 1904. Like Coca-Cola, early advertisements promoted the drink as an aid to digestion while also serving as an energy tonic. Despite what you’ve heard, the drink has never been made with prune juice and while there are some theories, nobody knows for sure how the drink got its name.