Today in Small Business History – April 23rd

🕰️ April 23: Coca-Cola officially registers a trademark, Shakespeare's legacy shapes creative enterprise, the first YouTube video hits 1 billion views, Microsoft introduces Excel for Mac, and Impossible Foods launches the meatless burger revolution.

1. Coca-Cola Registers Its Trademark (1893)

On April 23, 1893, Coca-Cola officially registered its trademark with the U.S. Patent Office. Already growing in popularity, this legal step protected the brand’s iconic identity and helped establish Coca-Cola as a global force in product marketing.

✅ Why It Matters:
Coca-Cola’s registration shows the power of brand protection. Securing trademarks is essential for small businesses to build long-term value and fend off imitators.

🔎 Fact Check:

✅ Correct: Coca-Cola’s trademark was registered on April 23, 1893, under U.S. Patent Office registration #22426.
📚 Source: Coca-Cola Company Archives

2. William Shakespeare was born (1564)

Though exact records are scarce, William Shakespeare is widely believed to have been born on April 23, 1564. His works helped launch a creative industry spanning centuries—from theater to publishing to multimedia.

✅ Why It Matters:
Shakespeare’s legacy reminds us that intellectual property, storytelling, and artistic expression are powerful business assets. Small businesses rooted in creativity continue to thrive using the timeless formula of content + commerce.

🔎 Fact Check:

✅ Correct: William Shakespeare was baptized on April 26, 1564; April 23 is traditionally celebrated as his birth date.
📚 Source: British Library, Shakespeare Birthplace Trust

3. First YouTube Video Hits 1 Billion Views (2012)

On April 23, 2012, "Gangnam Style" by Psy became the first video in YouTube history to reach 1 billion views, marking a cultural and commercial turning point in viral content and platform monetization.

✅ Why It Matters:
This milestone showed the economic power of viral content and user-generated media, opening monetization paths for creators and marketers alike.

🔎 Fact Check:

✅ Correct: “Gangnam Style” officially hit 1 billion views on YouTube on April 23, 2012.
📚 Source: YouTube Statistics Archive

4. Microsoft Releases Excel for Macintosh (1985)

On April 23, 1985, Microsoft released Excel for the Apple Macintosh. It featured a graphic interface that made data visualization and spreadsheet use more intuitive, setting the stage for widespread business adoption.

✅ Why It Matters:
Excel’s release democratized data analysis for small businesses, allowing even non-technical founders to manage numbers, visualize trends, and make informed decisions.

🔎 Fact Check:

✅ Correct: Microsoft Excel April 23, 1985 for the Macintosh platform.
📚 Source: Microsoft Product History

5. Impossible Foods Debuts Meatless Burger (2016)

On April 23, 2016, Impossible Foods publicly unveiled its plant-based burger, which aims to replicate launched its first public burger the taste and texture of beef. The company’s innovation quickly disrupted the food industry and sparked global conversation about sustainable eating.

✅ Why It Matters:
Impossible’s debut shows how innovation and environmental values can intersect to build entirely new markets—providing small food businesses with a blueprint for mission-driven growth.

🔎 Fact Check:

✅ Correct: Impossible Foods launched its first public burger on April 23, 2016, at Momofuku Nishi in NYC.
📚 Source: Impossible Foods Newsroom

📚 What This Means for Business:

April 23rd connects creative legacy, brand protection, platform innovation, and purpose-driven products. From Shakespeare’s birth to Excel’s launch and Coca-Cola’s trademark, the day reminds us that content, data, tech, and storytelling all have value when aligned with innovative business strategies.

✍️ Written by:
Dr. Ethan Fairbanks, M.B.H. (Master of Business History)

🎯 Tags:

#Small Business History #Coca Cola Trademark #Shakespeare Business Legacy #YouTube Milestone #Microsoft Excel #Impossible Foods