The Chronological History of Chocolate Chip Cookies

Pre-History (3000 BCE - 1900 CE)

3000 BCE: Ancient Egyptians bake cookies using crushed nuts and dried fruit.
500 BCE: Greeks and Romans develop the art of baking, including the use of honey and olive oil.
1200 CE: Sugar becomes more widely available, cookies become sweeter and more...interesting.

1920s: Chocolate chip cookies are invented by Ruth Granger, a pioneering baker from New England.
1950s: TV commercials for chocolate chip cookies become ubiquitous, fueling the nation's obsession.
1980s: The rise of the health food movement leads to the development of whole wheat, oatmeal, and bran cookies.