Shoulders of Giants
Historians often classify certain seminal events as era-defining moments: the advent of agriculture in 10,000 BC, the birth of Jesus of Nazareth in 1 AD, the fall of Rome in 476 AD, and the European rediscovery of the New World in 1450, to name just a few. In the present, we are faced with a much more daunting task: to know our place in the world today. To make progress in this never ending quest, we must ask ourselves what the defining moment of our time is.
The last 500 years have been a period of great change in the world, for better or for worse. Some people believe that the defining moment of this era has been the Reformation, the Enlightenment, the Scientific Revolution, the Industrial Revolution, the advent of Liberalism, the rise of Globalism, the Digital Revolution, or the creation of the Internet. Though important, these happenings are but a blip on the cosmic timeline when compared to one year that stands above all the rest: 1893.
The unkeen may find the year 1893 to be quite boring. It is, after all, not known for the birth of a nation, the collapse of an institution, or the calamity of a generation. It was, in fact, quite mundane. The world seemed to move slowly. One of the greatest stories to come out of newspapers at the time was a declaration that ice cream soda was the national drink, as reported by The Critic in April 1893. While this story was hardly fit to print, The Critic‘s ironic choice to discuss beverages was a harbinger of the revolution to come.
In 1893, a North Carolina pharmacist named Caleb Bradham invented a little-known digestion aid called Brad’s Drink. Five years after its creation, Brad’s Drink received a name that stuck around for good: Pepsi.
A New Era
By the year 2019, Pepsi had been around for more than 125 years. Over the decades, the refreshing, bubbly beverage had spread across the world – a far throw from its humble Southern roots. Every year, thousands of hours of ads, millions of hearts and stomachs, and billions of bottles and cans were filled with Pepsi. Nevertheless, the status of Pepsi still wasn’t full; in all of its glory, Pepsi was missing something that it fundamentally needed: a day to call its own.
A Noble Beginning
In 2019, a group of young visionaries gathered in Palatine, Illinois to partake in a celebration of refreshment. The drink of choice? Diet cherry Pepsi, 20 oz. Their one-off meeting turned into a weekly ordeal marked by excitement and joy. These were the founders of Pepsi Day; their magnanimous spirit would go on to propel the gospel of Pepsi Day forth into the world.
Into a New Decade
The 2020’s have proved to be a great time to drink Pepsi! Despite the challenges Pepsi Day faces, it will continue to grow and spread across the universe for years to come.