Chewing Gum: A Brief History and Evolution of the Modern Chewing Gum

Have you ever wondered how the sticky, chewable delight that freshens your breath and keeps your mouth busy came into existence? Chewing gum, a modern-day convenience found everywhere from the checkout lines in supermarkets to vending machines in schools, has a history that stretches back thousands of years, evolving through various forms and substances to become the product we know and love today.

The story of chewing gum begins with the ancient civilizations, such as the Greeks, Mayans, and Native Americans, who chewed different substances, ranging from tree resin to sweet grasses, for both enjoyment and to freshen their breath. It’s fascinating to discover that the Mayans and Aztecs, in particular, were known to chew chicle, a natural gum derived from the sapodilla tree, as a way to quench thirst or stave off hunger¹.

The transition from chicle and other natural substances to the commercial chewing gum we recognize today began in the mid-19th century. In 1840s, John B. Curtis created and sold the first commercial chewing gum, called “The State of Maine Pure Spruce Gum.” Later, in the 1860s, Thomas Adams, a New Yorker, experimented with chicle as a rubber substitute but ended up creating a popular chicle-based chewing gum after his experiments with vulcanized rubber failed².

The invention of bubble gum in 1928 by Walter Diemer, an accountant for the Fleer Chewing Gum Company, introduced a new era of gum that not only could be chewed but also blown into bubbles, adding a fun twist that especially appealed to children. Diemer’s accidental invention was a result of his experimentation with new gum recipes, leading to the birth of the first ever bubble gum, Dubble Bubble³.

Over the years, chewing gum innovations have included the addition of sugar-free options, an array of flavors, and even medicinal gums designed to deliver medications and supplements. Today, chewing gum is a global industry, with millions enjoying it for its taste, texture, and improving oral health by stimulating saliva production to reduce acid attack.⁴.

Let the chewable journey of gum inspire you to think about how simple ideas can evolve into global sensations. From the ancient sapodilla trees of the Mayan civilization to the sleek, colorful packages of gum lining store shelves today, chewing gum’s history is a testament to human ingenuity and the joy of creation. Keep chewing on new ideas, for who knows? Perhaps the next simple pleasure could come from you.

1. https://www.seriouseats.com/chewing-gum-history-how-its-made [↩]
2. https://www.history.com/news/chew-on-this-the-history-of-gum [↩]
3. https://www.thoughtco.com/the-invention-of-bubble-gum-1779256 [↩]
4. https://www.dentalhealth.org/sugar-free-chewing-gum [↩]