Key Dates in Chocolate History

Ancient & Early Chocolate History

• 450 BCE: The Aztecs and Mayans drink chocolate in Mesoamerica.
• 1200-1500 CE: The Aztecs use cacao beans as money and make a bitter chocolate drink called xocoatl.

Introduction to Europe

• 1492: Christopher Columbus encounters cacao beans on his fourth voyage.
• 1519: Spanish conquistadors bring chocolate to Spain as medicine.
• 1528: Hernán Cortés introduces chocolate to Europe.
• 1544: Monks serve chocolate to the Spanish court.

Industrial and Modern Chocolate

• 1828: Coenraad Van Houten invents the cocoa press.
• 1840: The first chocolate wrapper is used.
• 1842: Cadbury makes the first chocolate bar in England.
• 1847: J.S. Fry & Sons creates the first solid chocolate bar.
• 1875: Daniel Peter invents milk chocolate in Switzerland.
• 1879: Rodolphe Lindt invents conching, making chocolate smoother.
• 1890s: Chocolate production becomes industrialised .

20th Century Innovations

• 1923: The Milky Way bar is introduced.
• 1930: Chocolate chip cookies are accidentally discovered by Ruth Wakefield.
• 1936: White chocolate is invented.
• 1941: M&M’s are created for WWII soldiers.
• 1960s-1980s: Premium chocolate brands like Valrhona and Godiva gain popularity.

21st Century & Beyond

• 2011: Mondelez International and 3P Innovation invent the first 3D Cadbury chocolate printer.
• 2017: Barry Callebaut introduces Ruby Chocolate.
• 2020s: Sustainable chocolate production gains traction.