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Centennial Olympic Park and CNN Center, Atlanta

© Creative Commons / Joel Mann

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United States of America

Atlanta history

Atlanta was and is a crossroads town. By the time the Civil War began in 1861, Atlanta was a major railroad hub, manufacturing centre and supply depot. General William Sherman burned the city on his infamous March to the Sea in 1864, but four years later she rose like a phoenix from the ashes and was established as Georgia's new state capital.

In 1886, a local drugstore, Jacob's Pharmacy, began selling a new headache and hangover tonic called Coca-Cola, and six years later the Coca-Cola Company was founded.

The city's history helps to define Atlanta's uniqueness. Underground Atlanta, with its hidden delights, marks the birthplace of the city; a few MARTA stops away, the Fox Theatre is an architectural riot of domes and minarets, reflecting the excesses of the 1920s.

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