Circa 500 A.D.: Coffee is discovered in the 6th Century A.D., when, as the story goes, a herdsman in Yemen spots one of his goats jumping with joy after nibbling on a coffee bush. The herdsman samples a few beans for himself, experiences the same caffeine buzz and spreads the word to his countrymen about the brown bean's properties.

1652: Coffeehouses arrive in London, replacing taverns, out of favor under Puritan rule. The coffeehouses are an immediate hit with men (women are prohibited), who gather to gamble, gossip and discuss current affairs.

1656: In Istanbul, the grand vizier outlaws coffeehouses, which have become a popular site for free-wheeling political debate. First offense: beating. Second offense: the coffee-swilling culprit is placed in a leather bag and thrown into the Straits of Bosporus.

1683: A savvy Viennese entrepreneur salvages sacks of raw coffee beans left by defeated Turkish invaders and starts selling coffee door to door, then opens the city's first coffeehouse.

1732: Bach sings the praises of caffeine when he composes the "Coffee Cantata" in response to a doctor's argument that coffee is unhealthy.

1770s: In Paris, Voltaire, Diderot and Rousseau debate democratic philosophy at Cafe Procope.

1915: In the coffeehouses of Zurich, Switzerland, artists and intellectuals fuel their brains with coffee and launch the art movement to become known as Dada.

1946: The espresso coffee machine is invented by the Italian Achille Gaggia. The machines are set up in Milan train stations to accommodate commuters in a hurry to grab a quick, hot drink on their way to work.

1971: The first Starbucks opens for business in Seattle.

1996: Cafe Procope in Paris is still standing at its original location.

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