Coca-Cola Was Invented as a Medicine: Originally created by John Pemberton in 1886, Coca-Cola was initially marketed as a medicinal drink, claiming to cure various ailments.
Apple's First Logo Featured Sir Isaac Newton: Apple's first logo depicted Sir Isaac Newton sitting under a tree, with an apple about to fall on his head. It was replaced by the iconic apple with a bite taken out of it.
LEGO Is the World's Largest Tire Manufacturer: While best known for its building blocks, LEGO produces more tires than any other company, thanks to its extensive collection of toy sets.
Starbucks Was Named After a Character in Moby-Dick: Starbucks was named after the first mate of the Pequod, a ship in Herman Melville's novel "Moby-Dick."
Walt Disney Was Fired for Lack of Creativity: Before founding Disney, Walt Disney was fired from a newspaper for his supposed lack of creative ideas.
HP Started in a Garage: Hewlett-Packard (HP) was founded in a garage by Bill Hewlett and Dave Packard in 1938, a classic example of a startup success story.
Nike's Swoosh Logo Cost $35: The famous Nike "swoosh" logo was designed by a graphic designer and cost the company just $35.
The "Like" Button on Facebook Was Originally the "Awesome" Button: Facebook's original concept for the "Like" button was "Awesome." It was changed to "Like" to make it more universally appealing.
The First Google Doodle Was a Stick Figure: The very first Google Doodle, in 1998, depicted the Burning Man festival. It was a simple stick figure behind the second "o."
The First YouTube Video Was 18 Seconds Long: The first video uploaded to YouTube, titled "Me at the zoo," was posted by co-founder Jawed Karim and was a short 18 seconds in length.
Amazon Sold Its First Book in 1995: Amazon started as an online bookstore and sold its first book, "Fluid Concepts and Creative Analogies" by Douglas Hofstadter.
Ferrari Originally Made Tractors: Before becoming famous for luxury sports cars, Ferrari started as a manufacturer of agricultural machinery.
Nintendo Began as a Playing Card Company: Nintendo's origins date back to 1889 when it started as a playing card company in Kyoto, Japan.
Twitter's Bird Logo Is Named Larry: The blue bird in Twitter's logo is named "Larry." It was named after former NBA player Larry Bird, who played for the Boston Celtics.
The First Starbucks Sold Coffee Machines and Beans Only: The original Starbucks store in Seattle, opened in 1971, didn't sell brewed coffee but specialized in selling high-quality coffee beans and coffee-making equipment.
The Michelin Guide Was Created to Sell More Tires: The Michelin Guide, known for its restaurant and hotel ratings, was originally published by the Michelin tire company to encourage more people to travel and, consequently, wear out their tires.
eBay's First Sale Was a Broken Laser Pointer: eBay's first sale in 1995 was a broken laser pointer. The buyer collected broken laser pointers as a hobby.
The Inventor of the Frisbee Was Cremated and Turned into Frisbees: Ed Headrick, considered the "Father of Disc Golf," requested in his will to be cremated and turned into Frisbees, so he could "fly" forever.
KFC's Secret Recipe Is Locked in a Vault: The original recipe for KFC's fried chicken is kept in a secure vault, with only a few people in the world who know the full list of ingredients.
The "Intel Inside" Sound Was Created by Brian Eno: The iconic five-note chime that plays at the end of Intel commercials was composed by musician and producer Brian Eno.
These fascinating stories and facts about businesses showcase the diverse and often unexpected paths that many companies have taken on their journey to success.
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