Coffee's timeline began in Ethiopia around the 9th century.
From there, coffee spread to the Middle East, Europe, and eventually the Americas, becoming a global commodity and cultural staple world wide
According to legend, an Ethiopian goatherd named Kaldi discovers the stimulating effects of coffee berries on his goats.
Coffee is known in Mecca.
Coffee cultivation begins in Yemen.
Sufi monasteries in Yemen use coffee as an aid to concentration during prayers.
Coffee is forbidden in Mecca for its stimulating effect, but the ban is soon overturned.
The Ottoman Turkish Sultan Suleiman I issues a fatwa allowing coffee consumption.
Coffee is banned in Cairo, but the ban is later lifted.
First coffee houses open in Constantinople (Istanbul).
Religious controversy over coffee in Egypt and Mecca.
The word "coffee" enters the English language.
Abd al-Qadir al-Jaziri compiles a work on the history and legal controversies of coffee.
Coffee likely reaches Italy through commercial Mediterranean trade routes.
Dutch successfully smuggle coffee plants from Mocha, Yemen.
First European coffee house (outside of the Ottoman Empire) opens in Venice.
Coffee houses begin to open in England.
Coffee is introduced to North America.
First Parisian café opens.
Over 3,000 coffee houses in England.
The first café in the Americas opens in Boston, called "London Coffee House".
Café de Procope, the oldest operating café in Paris, opens.
The Dutch begin large-scale coffee cultivation in Java.
The French begin cultivating coffee in the Caribbean.
Gabriel de Clieu brings coffee seedlings to Martinique in the Caribbean.
Coffee plants are introduced to the Americas through French Guiana.
Coffee cultivation begins in Brazil.
The British begin cultivating coffee in Jamaica.
There are over 2,000 coffee houses in London.
The Boston Tea Party makes coffee the preferred drink in the American colonies.
New World coffee production dominates the market, with Saint-Domingue (Haiti) as the largest producer.
First espresso machine is invented in France. Different types of ways to prepare coffee start to appear.
James Mason invents a new way to brew coffee with the coffee percolator.
John and Charles Arbuckle begin selling pre-roasted coffee in paper bags (Arbuckle's Ariosa Coffee).
Coffee leaf rust devastates coffee crops in Ceylon (Sri Lanka).
John Arbuckle patents a method of glazing coffee beans with an egg and sugar mixture to seal in the flavor.
Caleb Chase and James Sanborn form Chase & Sanborn, a coffee and tea company.
Max Morgenthaler of Nestlé begins developing soluble coffee.
Hills Brothers begins packing roast coffee in vacuum tins, marking a significant advance in maintaining coffee freshness.
Luigi Bezzera patents the first commercial espresso machine.
German coffee importer Ludwig Roselius discovers the process to remove caffeine from coffee, leading to the development of Sanka, the first decaffeinated coffee brand.
Melitta Bentz invents the paper coffee filter.
Prohibition in the United States helps fuel the popularity of coffee shops.
Nestlé launches Nescafé, the first mass-produced instant coffee.
The US government regulates coffee to ensure fair distribution during World War II.
The Fairtrade movement begins, aiming to help coffee farmers get a fair price for their crops.
Coffee entrepreneur Alfred Peet opens Peet's Coffee in Berkeley, California, influencing the specialty coffee movement.
Starbucks is founded in Seattle by Jerry Baldwin, Zev Siegl, and Gordon Bowker. It will eventually become the most famous coffee chain on the planet.
Costa Coffee founded in London.
Brazil suffers a devastating frost, leading to a worldwide spike in coffee prices.
The first Coffee and Tea Festival is held in China.
Howard Schultz acquires Starbucks and begins rapid expansion.
The Specialty Coffee Association of America is founded.
Starbucks begins its international expansion, opening its first store outside North America in Tokyo.
The United Nations General Assembly approves Resolution 368, recognizing the International Coffee Organization (ICO) as the main intergovernmental body for coffee.
Instagram is founded, leading to the rise of "coffee culture" on social media.
California judge rules that coffee must carry cancer warning (later overturned in 2019).
COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacts coffee industry, particularly coffee shops and cafes.
Coffee prices reach multi-year highs due to supply chain disruptions and climate-related crop issues in Brazil.