The History of Chocolate Timelin

600 ~ The Maya Indians moved from their home in Guatemala to the Yucatán Peninsula in Mexico. They brought with them cacao from the rain forest. In Guatemala the Maya established large plantations to grow cacao.

1000 ~ The people in Central America began using the cacao beans as money. Drawings have been found showing pictures where 10 beans could buy a rabbit or 100 beans could buy a slave. In one Mexican drawing a basket of 8,000 beans was used to show the number 8000. The beans were also used to make a bitter drink. This drink was used to treat coughs and fever.

1200 ~ The Aztec's began to rule Mexico. The Aztecs demanded payment in the form of taxes from the Aztecs with cacao beans. The Aztecs used the cacao bean for a drink. They added flowers, vanilla, and honey to their drink.

The 1500's

1502 ~ Christopher Columbus was given his first drink of xocoatl (chocolate) on his fourth voyage to America. Although he did not like the drink, he took some of the cacao beans back to his homeland as an unusual item to show the people at home.

1519 ~ Hernán Cortéz was a young Spaniard who went to Cuba to find his fortune. He heard stories of gold in Mexico and South America. In 1519 Cortéz left Cuba to find this gold. With 300 Aztecs to every one of Cortéz's men the Spanish fought. After 3 battles the Indians gave up. They could not compete against the guns and horses. The Spaniards also wore metal armor. More than this the Indians were afraid of the "god-like" warriors. On November 8, 1519 Cortéz reached Mexico City and was received by Montezuma, the Aztec emperor. Cortéz captured Montezuma and began to rule the empire through him. The Spaniards made the Aztecs work in the mines looking for gold and silver. This gold and silver was shipped back to Spain. Cortéz also recognized the value of the cacao bean to the Aztecs. He established a cacao plantation in the name of Spain.

1528 ~ Hernán Cortéz returned to Spain with some cacao beans. They were hidden in Spanish monasteries. The formula for making the chocolate drink was kept a secret. Only the very rich could afford to buy the drink

1585 ~ The first commercially grown shipment of cacao beans grown in South and Central America was taken to Spain.

The 1600's

1615 ~ Anne of Austria, a Spanish princess, marries Louis XIII of France and takes the Spanish custom of chocolate drinking to France.

1657 ~ The first chocolate house is opened in England by a Frenchman. At this time chocolate cost 6 to 8 shillings per pound. Only the rich could afford to buy chocolate at the chocolate house.

1660 ~ Maria Theresa of Austria marries Louis XIV of France. She shares her love of chocolate with the people of France. For the first time people outside the royal court enjoy chocolate drinking.

1663 ~ Pralines are created by a cook in Genensburg, Germany.

1674 ~ A London coffeehouse sells the first solid chocolate in a stick form.

The 1700's

1711 ~ Charles VI moves from Madrid, Spain to Vienna. He takes chocolate with him.

1720 ~ The Italians begin serving chocolate in Florence and Venice.

1732 ~ Monsieur Dubuisson, a French inventor, creates a table for grinding

chocolate. This lets the workers stand up while grinding the cacao bean. The table is heated from underneath by charcoal. This makes the production much easier.

1764 ~ The Baker Chocolate Company is established in Dorchester, Massachusetts by James Baker and John Hannon. This was the first time chocolate was made in the United States.

1780 ~ The first chocolate made by machine is produced in Barcelona, Spain.

1780 ~ Dr. James Baker calls his products "Baker's Chocolate".

1795 ~ J. S. Fry & Sons uses steam power to grind the cacao beans for the first time in England.

The 1800's

1819 ~ Francois-Louis Cailler returns from Italy where he studied chocolate-making. He established the first Swiss chocolate factory in Corsier.

1822 ~ John Cadbury, a Quaker who tried to convince people that drinking chocolate was much healthier than alcohol, opens a tea and coffee shop in Birmingham, England.

1828 ~ Coenraad Van Houten, a Dutch chocolate maker, invents a hydraulic press that is used to make cacao powder.

1832 ~ Francois-Louis Cailler opens a large plant in Corsier, Switzerland.

1840 ~ Cailler opens a second chocolate factory in Vevey, Switzerland. Twenty years later this factory is sold to Julien and Daniel Peter who invent milk chocolate.

1847 ~ The first manufacturer of chocolate in England creates the first chocolate bars. Their shop is called J. S. Fry & Sons. Not many people liked this because of its bitter taste.

1860 ~ John Cadbury joins with his brother Benjamin to form the Cadbury Brothers of Birmingham. A year later the business goes to John's sons, Richard and George.

1861 ~ Richard Cadbury creates the heart-shaped candy box for Valentine's Day.

1862 ~ The Baker's Chocolate Company obtains the rights to use the painting La Belle Chocolatiere, by the Swiss artist Jean-étienne Liotard. The painting shows the wife of Prince Dietrichstein as a maid serving chocolate. This was how she was dressed when the prince first mets her. Baker's Chocolate Company will use this same painting as their company trademark. This is one of the oldest product trademarks in the United States.

1864 ~ Jean Tobler begins production of handmade confections in Bern, Switzerland.

1872 ~ Baker's Chocolate Company begins to use the chocolate girl painting as the company trademark.

1875 ~ Daniel Peter figures out how to combine milk and cocoa power to create milk chocolate.

1879 ~ Rodolphe Lindt invents the conch. This is a machine that stirs liquid chocolate to break down any remaining clumps. This machines makes the chocolate smooth for the first time. Lindt calls this chocolate fondant and labels his candy bars Lindt Surfin.

1890 ~ Henri Nestlé dies in Montreux, Switzerland. He was the founder of the Nestlé Company.

1893 ~ Milton Hershey goes to the World's Colombian Exposition in Chicago. He watches a demonstration of German-made chocolate equipment. He likes the this so much that he buys it immediately. He ships the equipment to his Carmel factory in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

1894 ~ Milton Hershey creates his first candy bar. He also makes baking chocolate, cocoa, and chocolate coatings for caramels.

1894 ~ Otto J. Scholenleber starts the Ambrosia Chocolate Company in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Later he switches to making bulk chocolate for large companies such as Hostess, Pillsbury, and Nabisco.

1896 ~ Leo Hirschfield makes the first Tootsie Roll. He names it after his daughter.

1897 ~ People in England ate a record 36 million pounds of chocolate. Europeans ate 100 millions pounds and the people from the United States ate 26 million pounds of chocolate.

1899 ~ Rodolphe Lindt sold his secret formula for making fondant chocolate to David Sprüngli for 1.5 million Swiss francs. He forms a new partnership and the company becomes Lindt & Sprüngli.

1899 ~ Jean Tobler begins a chocolate company in Bern.

The 1900's

1900~ Milton S. Hershey introduces the Milk Chocolate Bar. He also begins the production of Sweethearts. These are vanilla sweet chocolate candy with a heart imprinted on the base. They will be discontinued in 1931.

1903~ Milton Hershey builds a chocolate factory and a town for his workers near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

1904~ The Cadbury Company develops a dairy milk chocolate.

1906~ The town of Derry Church, Pennsylvania changes its name to Hershey to honor Milton S. Hershey.

1907~ On July 1, 1907 the first Hershey Kisses are made.

1908~ Theodore Tobler develops the unique triangular nougat filled chocolate candy bar called Toblerone.

1908~ The Hershey Chocolate Company makes the first milk chocolate bar with almonds.

1909~ The Hershey Chocolate Company states making Silvertops. This is a version of the Hershey's Kisses that are sold individually. They are discontinued in 1931.

1911~ Frank and Ethel Mars build a candy company in Tacoma, Washington. Later it become the Mars, Inc.

1912~ Jean Neuhaus, Jr. invents the first chocolate covered praline. He fills the empty chocolate shell with pralines invented by his father.

1912~ The Whitman Company produces the boxed assortments called Whitman's Samplers. This is the first company to have a drawing of where the different chocolates are located in the box.

1914~ L. S. Heath & Sons, Inc. makes the first Heath Bar in Robinson, Illinois.

1919~ The Fry family merges with the Cadbury Brothers.

1921~ The Hershey Food Corporation begins to wrap the Kisses by machine and add the flag to the wrapping.

1921~ The Mounds candy bar is invented by Peter Paul Halijian. He sells it under the name Peter Paul Mounds.

1922~ H. B. Reese makes the first Reese's peanut butter cup using Hershey's milk chocolate.

1923~ Frank Mars creates the first Milky Way candy bar. This candy has a nougat center.

1923~ Hershey Foods Corporation registers the name Hershey's Kisses as a trademark.

1925~ The Hershey Chocolate Company makes the first Mr. Goodbar.

1927~ Baker's Chocolate Company is bought by General Foods Corporation. They move the company to Delaware.

1927~ The Hershey Chocolate Company is renamed Hershey Chocolate Corporation.

1928~ L. S. Heath & Sons, Inc. develops the toffee candy bar called the Heath Bar. This candy bar can be bought on the home-delivered dairy order form.

1929~ Frank Mars opens the Chicago candy plant.

1929~ Peter, Cailler, and Kohler merge with Nestlé ending 30 years of rivalry between the two companies.

1930~ Frank Mars makes the first Snickers candy bar.

1938~ The Hershey Chocolate Corporation makes the Krackel bar.

1939~ Blommer Chocolate Company begins manufacturing in Chicago, Illinois. It will become the largest commercial chocolate manufacturer in the United States.

1939~ Hershey makes the Hershey's Miniatures chocolate bars.

1941~ Forrest Mars returns to the United States from England. He goes into business with Bruce Murrie, who is the one of the president of the Hershey Chocolate Company. They call their new company M & M Ltd. Together they make the first M & M's.

1947~ Peter Paul makes the first Almond Joy.

1950~ Sam Altshuler starts the Annabelle Candy Company, Inc. He names his company for his daughter and makes the first Rocky Road candy bar.

1962~ Hershey's Kisses are wrapped in colors other than silver for the first time.

1963~ Hershey Chocolate Company buy H. B. Reese Candy Company, Inc. for $23.5 million.

1966~ The Campbell Soup Company buys the Godiva Chocolatier, Inc. of Belgium.

1969~ The Cadbury chocolate business merges with the Schweppes soft drinks to form Cadbury Schweppes.

1970~ The Tobler company merges with the Suchard to become the largest chocolate company.

1970~ Because the Reese's Peanut Butter Cups are so popular the company has to double its size.

1973~ The Cadbury Company opens Chocolate World theme park in Bournville, England.

1973~ The Hershey Foods Corporation opens its theme park, Hershey's Chocolate World.

1973~ Hershey Foods begins putting nutritional information on their labels.

1976~ Hershey Chocolate Company adds chopped peanuts to the Reese's Peanut Butter Cups to make Reese's Crunchy.

1977~ Hershey Foods makes the first Golden Almond chocolate bar.

1980~ An employee of the Schare-Tobler tries to sell secret chocolate recipes to Saudi Arabia, China, and Russia. Luckily he was unsuccessful.

1988~ Nestlé buys the British chocolate and candy manufactures Rowntree. This makes Nestlé the world's largest chocolate manufacturer.

1988~ Hershey Chocolate Company is renamed Hershey Chocolate U.S.A. The company buys Peter Paul.

1989~ Hershey Chocolate U.S.A. makes the Symphony milk chocolate bar with almonds and toffee chips.

1990~ Hershey sends 144,000 of their heat-resistant candy bars to soldiers in the Gulf War, Desert Storm.

1991~ The recipe for Reese's Peanut Butter Cup is changed to add three times the amount of peanuts.

1993~ The first Hershey's Hugs and mini Hershey's Kisses wrapped in white chocolate are sold.