15th–17th centuriesReputable sourceWell documented
Coffee and the Coffeehouse
On the timeline · around 15th–17th centuries ·
What happened
Coffee spread from the highlands of Ethiopia to 15th-century Yemen, where Sufi mystics drank it to stay awake for prayer. It swept the Islamic world and then Europe, where coffeehouses became hubs of news, commerce and debate — the 'penny universities.'
Why it matters
Caffeine is the world's most widely used psychoactive drug. Coffeehouse culture helped fuel the Enlightenment and the rise of modern public life.
Sources
- Encyclopaedia Britannica. History of coffee · Reputable source