c. 1561Peer-reviewed · 2 sourcesWell documented
Tobacco Reaches Europe: Jean Nicot
On the timeline · around c. 1561 ·
What happened
The French diplomat Jean Nicot returned from Portugal around 1561 and promoted tobacco at the French court as a wonder medicine that could cure headaches and calm the nerves. Tobacco spread across Europe as both a fashionable habit and a supposed cure-all.
Why it matters
Nicot's name lives on in the plant's genus, Nicotiana, and in nicotine — the addictive compound that would make tobacco so hard to quit.
Sources
- World History Encyclopedia. A Brief History of Tobacco in the Americas · Reputable source
- PMC / NIH. Nicotine: From Discovery to Biological Effects · Peer-reviewed