| Date | |
| 6th Century | Maya and Aztec civilisations of Mexico and Central America are noted to have used cocoa beans as trading currency. The beans are consumed as a drink rather than eaten. The drink is known as "xocoatl" |
| 1502 | Christopher Columbus brings cocoa beans back to Europe after a voyage to the Americas but doesn't realise the significance of his samples |
| 1519 | Hernando Cortez, a Spanish explorer, visited Emperor Montezuma of Mexico where he tastes drinking chocolate for the first time |
| 1528 | Cortez takes chocolate back to Spain for the first time |
| 1585 | Cocoa beans begin to be traded as a commodity and shipments of beans begin are regularly delivered from Mexico to Spain |
| 16th Century | Cane sugar is added to drinking chocolate to sweeten the product |
| 16th Century | Drinking chocolate continues to gain in popularity in Europe |
| 1606 | Italian traveler, Antonio Carletti takes chocolate to other European countries after visiting the Americas |
| 1650's | Chocolate becomes increasingly well known as a beverage in Britain but is expensive to purchase for most people |
| 1657 | The first drinking chocolate house opens in Britain |
| 1674 | Solid chocolate is introduced for the first time in the form of rolls and cakes |
| 1680 | Chocolate is thought to have medicinal benefits and is used by physicians |
| 1732 | French inventor Dubuisson invents a mill for grinding chocolate |
| 1765 | Chocolate is introduced into North America and the first chocolate factory is built in Massachusetts |
| 1795 | Dr Joseph Fry of Bristol uses a steam engine to power a cocoa bean grinding mill. This invention was heralded as a major breakthrough and aided mass chocolate production |
| 1810 | Venezuela is producing half of the worlds cocoa requirements |
| 1819 | The first Swiss chocolate factory opens |
| 1828 | C.J. Van Houten invents the first cocoa press which squeezes the beans and removes a high percentage of cocoa butter. The press helped to produce a smoother product. This process became known as "dutching" |
| 1847 | The first modern chocolate bar is produced by Joseph Fry & Son and chocolate became gained popularity in this format |
| 1850's | Prime Minister William Gladstone reduced the taxes on cocoa beans and chocolate becomes affordable to a larger proportion of British people |
| 1876 | Daniel Peter in Switzerland develops means of making milk chocolate, then takes his creation to the largest producer of chocolate, Nestle |
| 1910 | Paynes enter the chocolate market |
| 1913 | Jules Sechaud develops a process to produce filled chocolates |
| 1925 | The New York Cocoa Exchange opens on 1st October in the world trade centre |
| 1937 | Paynes Poppets are launched |