Who invented Coca-Cola?

In 1886, a pharmacist named John Pemberton created the syrup and began advertising it as a tonic that would cure many health problems. (The original mixture contained dried coca leaves, the source of cocaine, and caffeine, but the coca leaves were removed in 1905.) Pemberton sold the syrup to local soda fountains. Another pharmacist, Asa Candler, bought the business in 1891 for $2,300 and organized the Coca-Cola Company the following year.