| 1492- Columbus Discovers Tobacco. In his | | | | hair?" the advertisement reads. |
| journal, Columbus mentions tobacco for | | | | "Marlboros now ride in so many |
| the first time. Rodrigo de Jerez and | | | | limousines, attend so many bridge |
| Luis de Torres first observe the native | | | | parties, and repose in so many |
| smoking ritual and try it themselves. | | | | handbags." |
| Jerez becomes the first smoker of | | | | 1927 - A sensation is created when |
| western decent. | | | | George Washington Hill blatantly aims |
| 1556-Tobacco use spreads to the old | | | | Lucky Strike advertising campaign at |
| world through Spain and Portugal. The | | | | women, urging them to "reach for a |
| plant that grew from these seeds is | | | | Lucky instead of a sweet." Smoking |
| christened Nicotina tabacura by | | | | initiation rates among adolescent |
| Linnaeus, thereby immortalizing Jean | | | | females triple between 1925-1935, and |
| Nicot's name. Later the addictive | | | | Lucky Strike captures 38% of the |
| alkaloid is called nicotine. | | | | American market. |
| 1548 - The Portuguese begin to grow | | | | 1936 - Brown and Williamson introduce |
| tobacco for export in Brazil. | | | | Viceroy, the first national brand to |
| 1770 - The first tobacco shop is | | | | feature a filter of cellulose acetate. |
| established in Lancaster, PA. | | | | Advertising increases the use of |
| 1826 - England is importing only 26 lbs | | | | physicians to counter the claims that |
| of cigars per year. By 1830, England is | | | | cigarettes are a major health problem. |
| importing 250,000 lbs per year. | | | | 1940 - Adult Americans smoke 2,558 |
| 1847 - Philip Morris is open for | | | | cigarettes per capita a year, nearly |
| business in England. They sell hand | | | | twice the consumption of 1930 |
| rolled Turkish cigarettes. | | | | 1945 - Smoking is now socially |
| 1854 - Philip Morris begins making its | | | | acceptable for women. Another generation |
| own cigarettes in London, on Bond Street | | | | of Americans is now habituated to |
| 1881 - James E. Bonsack invents the | | | | tobacco as a result of free cigarettes |
| automated cigarette-making machine. It | | | | distributed by the Red Cross and other |
| can produce 200 cigarettes per minute, a | | | | organizations to our fighting men and |
| production rate which would have | | | | women. |
| previously taken 50 workers, thereby | | | | 1952 - Kent introduces the 'Micronite' |
| markedly reducing the cost of | | | | filter, which Lorillard claims |
| production. Within one year the largest | | | | "offers the greatest health |
| cigarette manufacturer sells more than a | | | | protection in cigarette history." |
| billion cigarettes annually. | | | | It turns out to be made of asbestos. |
| 1832 - The cigarette is invented by an | | | | Kent discontinues use of the Micronite |
| Egyptian artilleryman during the siege | | | | filter four years later. |
| of Acre. The Egyptian's cannon crew had | | | | 1954 - RJ Reynolds:- introduces:- |
| improved their rate of fire by rolling | | | | Winston:- filter cigarettes, but |
| the gunpowder in paper tubes. For this, | | | | promotes the taste benefit, not health. |
| he and his crew were rewarded with a | | | | Winston dominates the US market for the |
| pound of tobacco. Their only pipe was | | | | next 15 years. |
| broken, so they took to rolling the pipe | | | | 1954 - Marlboro advertising taken over |
| tobacco in the paper tubes. | | | | by the Chicago ad agency Leo Burnett. |
| 1864 - First American cigarette factory | | | | "Delivers the Goods on Flavor" |
| opens and produces almost 20 million | | | | ran the new slogan in newspaper ads. |
| cigarettes annually. | | | | Design of the campaign, which features |
| 1875 - Allen & Ginter cigarette | | | | 'Marlboro Men,' is credited to John |
| brands, Richmond Straight Cut No. 1 and | | | | Landry of Philip Morris. Prior to |
| Pet, begin using picture cards to | | | | initiating this campaign, Marlboro had |
| stiffen the pack and protect the | | | | <1% of the US market. |
| cigarettes. The cards, with photos of | | | | 1963 – Marlboro dispenses with |
| actresses, baseball players, Indian | | | | tattooed sailors and athletes as the |
| Chiefs, and boxers are enormously | | | | Marlboro Man and settles on the |
| successful and represent the first | | | | exclusive use of cowboys. For several |
| modern promotion scheme for a | | | | years, Philip Morris research had shown |
| manufactured product. | | | | that sales increased whenever they |
| 1901 - 3.5 billion cigarettes and 6 | | | | cowboys appeared in their campaigns. |
| billion cigars are sold. Four in five | | | | 1964 - Marlboro Country ad campaign is |
| American men smoke at least one cigar a | | | | launched. "Come to where the flavor |
| day. | | | | is. Come to Marlboro Country." |
| 1902 - Tiny Philip Morris sets up a | | | | Marlboro sales begin growing at 10% a |
| corporation in New York to sell its | | | | year. |
| British brands, including Philip Morris, | | | | 1968 - Philip Morris introduces Virginia |
| Blues, Cambridge, Derby, and a cigarette | | | | Slims with the slogan, "You've come |
| named after Marlborough Street, where | | | | a long way, baby." Five yeas later, |
| its London factory is located. Marlboro | | | | Billy Jean King, wearing Virginia Slims |
| is one of the earliest woman's | | | | colors, defeats Bobby Riggs in the |
| cigarettes, featuring a red tip to hide | | | | televised 'Battle of the Sexes.' |
| lipstick marks. It does not catch on | | | | Virginia Slims continues to promote |
| with the public. | | | | tennis matches to this day. |
| 1910 - Most popular brands: Pall Mall, | | | | 1972 - Marlboro becomes the best-selling |
| Sweet Caporals, Piedmont, Helmar and | | | | cigarette in the world. It remains so |
| Fatima. | | | | today by a wide margin. |
| 1913 - RJ Reynolds introduces Camel, | | | | 1999 - About 10 million Americans smoke |
| considered by historians as the first | | | | cigars. |
| 'modern' cigarette. | | | | 2002 - CDC estimates smoking health and |
| 1917 - During World War I cigarettes | | | | productivity costs reach $150 billion a |
| become the smoke of choice as pipes and | | | | year, according to a new study published |
| cigars prove unmanageable at the front. | | | | in this week's WMMR. CDC estimated the |
| Between 1910 and 1919 cigarette | | | | total cost of smoking at $3,391 a year |
| production increases by 633% from under | | | | for every smoker, and even itemized the |
| 10 billion/year to nearly 70 billion | | | | per-pack health/productivity costs at |
| year and cigarette smoking begins to | | | | $7.18/pack. Further, it estimated the |
| become fixed among American men. The | | | | smoking-related medical costs at $3.45 |
| American Red Cross and the Young Men's | | | | per pack, and job productivity lost |
| Christian Association, previously | | | | because of premature death from smoking |
| opposed to the propagation of | | | | at $3.73 per pack. |
| cigarettes, actively supply them to the | | | | Current campaign |
| troops overseas. | | | | Fire-safe cigarette legislation has been |
| 1921 - RJ Reynolds spends $8 million in | | | | passed or introduced in many states. To |
| advertising, mostly on Camel. | | | | maintain regulatory uniformity, all |
| Inaugurates the highly successful | | | | states and countries are using the |
| "I'd Walk a Mile for a Camel" | | | | “model” FSC regulatory bill |
| slogan. | | | | based on the New York FSC law. With |
| 1924 - Philip Morris re-introduces | | | | identical fire safety regulations for |
| Marlboro with the slogan "Mild as | | | | cigarettes in all states and countries, |
| May," targeting "decent, | | | | cigarette manufacturers can voluntarily |
| respectable" women. "Has | | | | produce FSC worldwide. Until then, |
| smoking any more to do with a woman's | | | | legislative campaigns mandating FSC will |
| morals than has the color of her | | | | continue. |