Founders Day 2026: Celebrating 140 Years of Shared Moments

On May 8, 2026, Coca‑Cola marks 140 years of moments of refreshment, resilience and optimism, connecting generations through a shared beverage experience.

• Founders Day 2026 honors Coca‑Cola’s history from an Atlanta pharmacy counter to a global icon while celebrating a modern, evolving beverage portfolio
• May 8 links Coca‑Cola’s beginnings, National Have A Coke Day and Victory in Europe Day, reflecting moments of optimism in U.S. and global history

From Atlanta Pharmacy to Global Icon

From Atlanta’s soda fountains to living rooms around the world, Coca‑Cola’s 140th Founders Day invites people to see how one drink has traveled with generations. On May 8, 2026, the company marks both Founders Day and National Have A Coke Day, underscoring how a simple beverage can carry memories, milestones and everyday moments.

That story began on May 8, 1886, when pharmacist John Pemberton served the first Coca‑Cola at Jacobs’ Pharmacy in Atlanta. The flavored syrup mixed with carbonated water started as a local curiosity and quickly became a different kind of refreshment experience. Within a few decades, the drink that debuted behind a soda fountain was traveling by bottle across the United States.

Over time, May 8 has taken on layered meaning. It is Coca‑Cola’s Founders Day and National Have A Coke Day, and it is also remembered as the date of Victory in Europe Day in 1945, when World War II ended in Europe. On a day when Allied soldiers marked peace, many already recognized the taste of Coca‑Cola from bottling plants near the front.

Early business choices helped make that familiarity possible. In 1899, Benjamin Thomas and Joseph Whitehead purchased bottling rights for one dollar and built a decentralized network of local bottlers. During the Great Depression, Coca‑Cola held the price of a bottle at five cents while continuing to invest in marketing such as The Pause That Refreshes. These decisions kept Coca‑Cola accessible and visible, turning a regional drink into a global cultural icon that grew alongside an increasingly forward-looking America.

Moments that Shaped a Century of Optimism

During World War II, Coca‑Cola President Robert Woodruff said that every American in uniform should be able to buy a Coke for five cents, wherever they are served, whatever the cost. The company built 64 bottling plants close to troops around the world. More than 5 billion bottles were enjoyed by service members who often described the drink as a taste of home.

Decades later, another moment of optimism reached people not through battlefields but through television screens. In 1971, the Hilltop commercial “I’d Like To Buy The World A Coke” gathered young people from around the globe to sing together on a hillside. At a time marked by the Vietnam War and social change, the ad offered a simple, hopeful vision of connection that still resonates.

That spirit of service and unity continues today. For example, local bottlers across the United States have mobilized during wildfires in California and hurricanes in the Southeast, delivering millions of bottles of water and sports drinks to communities in need. The local system first envisioned in 1899 continues to show up when neighbors need support. 

New Flavors, New Traditions

Founders Day 2026 also looks ahead. It celebrates a modern portfolio that includes sparkling soft drinks brands; water, sports, coffee and tea brands; juice, value-added dairy and plant-based beverage brands, and ready-to-drink alcohol beverages that meet evolving tastes and occasions. New flavors and formats give today’s consumers more ways to enjoy a Coca‑Cola moment.

To mark America’s 250th anniversary, Coca‑Cola is introducing special America250 packaging and limited-edition mini cans that celebrate all 50 states and U.S. territories. Collectors and fans can celebrate their hometown pride while honoring a shared national story.

On May 8, everyone is invited to celebrate Founders Day by enjoying a favorite Coca‑Cola beverage, joining a local volunteer event or raising a can to 140 years of optimism and to the future still being written.