The origin of the popular lemon-lime soda known as 7 UP extends back to 1920 when C.L. Grigg founded the Howdy Corporation, which was named after the Howdy Orange drink he developed, in St. Louis, Missouri. Seeking to find a new refreshing and thirst-quenching drink, Grigg carried out years of testing with new beverage formulas, finally releasing what was originally called Bib-Label Lithiated Lemon-Lime Soda in 1929, only two weeks before the resounding October crash of the stock market that year. Despite the awkward name and the poor state of the economy, the drink was a success and its name was soon changed to 7 UP. The rights to 7 UP have changed hands many times since it was developed by Grigg, and today the product is under the control of Dr Pepper/7 UP Inc., owned by the London-based Cadbury Schweppes plc.
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