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History of Bubble Gum Timeline
(1928 - Present)Bubble gum is a type of chewing gum specially formulated to be elastic enough to blow bubbles. Its modern history began in 1928 when accountant Walter Diemer accidentally created a successful formula at the Fleer Chewing Gum Company. Since then, bubble gum has become a global cultural phenomenon, popularized by brands like Dubble Bubble, Bazooka, and Hubba Bubba. More Less
Early Origins
Maya chew chicle from sapodilla trees
250
The Maya civilization of Mesoamerica began chewing chicle, the latex sap of the sapodilla tree, as a way to quench thirst, stave off hunger, and clean their teeth. Chicle would later become the foundational ingredient of modern chewing gum and bubble gum.
Image source: Chicle
Native Americans introduce spruce gum to settlers
1600
Indigenous peoples of North America chewed the hardened resin of spruce trees, a habit they shared with European settlers in New England. Spruce gum became America's first commercial chewing gum in the early 19th century.
Commercialization
John B. Curtis sells first commercial spruce gum
Sep 23, 1848
John B. Curtis and his brother launched 'State of Maine Pure Spruce Gum,' the first commercially sold chewing gum in America. Their success created an industry that soon included paraffin-based gums like Curtis's later product, Butterine.
Image source: Scarpetta (TV series)
Thomas Adams patents gum-making machine
Feb 28, 1871
After failing to use chicle as rubber substitute material, Thomas Adams pivoted to chewing gum. He patented a machine to manufacture gum and founded Adams New York Chewing Gum Co., popularizing chicle-based gum such as Adams' Black Jack licorice-flavored gum.
Image source: American Chicle Company
Wrigley's enters the chewing gum business
1891
William Wrigley Jr., initially selling soap and baking powder, began offering chewing gum as a premium with his products. Gum quickly outperformed everything else he sold, leading him to found what became the world's largest chewing gum company.
Gumball machines become American fixtures
1907
Coin-operated gumball machines proliferated in stores, train stations, and arcades across America in the early 20th century. For a penny, customers received a colorful ball of gum, turning bubble gum into a ubiquitous part of everyday American life.
Image source: Gumball machine
Great Depression makes penny gum a hit
1930
During the Great Depression, Dubble Bubble sold for just a penny, making it one of the few affordable luxuries for American children. Its popularity soared, and gumball machines filled with Dubble Bubble appeared across the country.
Image source: Dubble Bubble
Baseball cards paired with bubble gum
1933
Goudey Gum Company began including baseball cards with packs of bubble gum, creating an enduring American tradition. Topps later perfected the model in the 1950s with wax packs containing gum and trading cards that fueled collecting crazes.
Image source: Topps
Innovation and Brands
Frank Fleer experiments with bubble gum formulas
1906
Frank H. Fleer developed 'Blibber-Blubber,' the first attempt at a bubble gum. Though it could produce bubbles, the formula was too sticky and brittle, leaving gum stuck to faces and shattering rather than holding air, so it never reached commercial success.
Image source: Bubble gum
Dubble Bubble becomes first successful bubble gum
1928
Walter Diemer, a 23-year-old accountant at Fleer, accidentally invented a workable bubble gum formula while experimenting after hours. Marketed as Dubble Bubble, it was pink simply because that was the only food coloring available, establishing pink as bubble gum's signature color.
Key Facts
- Walter Diemer, an accountant at the Fleer Chewing Gum Company, invented the first successful bubble gum formula in 1928 by accident while experimenting in his spare time.
- The first bubble gum was called Dubble Bubble, and it was pink simply because that was the only food coloring available at the factory.
- An earlier bubble gum called Blibber-Blubber was created by Frank Fleer around 1906, but it was too sticky and brittle to be commercially viable.
- Bubble gum's signature elasticity comes from a synthetic rubber base (like polyisobutylene), which allows it to stretch into bubbles without breaking.
- Bazooka Joe comic strips were introduced in 1953 with Bazooka gum, becoming one of the most recognizable pieces of bubble gum marketing in history.
Source
This History of Bubble Gum timeline was generated with the help of AI, using information found on the internet.
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