The origin of Alka-Seltzer dates back to 1931 when it was developed by the Miles Laboratories in Elkhart, Indiana. The idea for the product was conceived by Hub Beardsley, the company’s president, after he noticed that a newspaper editor in his town was using a combination of aspirin and baking soda to relieve cold symptoms. Beardsley saw an opportunity to create a single effervescent tablet that combined aspirin (a pain reliever), sodium bicarbonate (an antacid), and citric acid to help with indigestion, headaches, and colds.

Alka-Seltzer quickly became popular for its effervescent (fizzing) action, which made it easy to take and fast-acting. Its famous marketing slogan, “Plop, Plop, Fizz, Fizz, Oh What a Relief It Is!”, became a cultural icon in the 20th century.

Over the decades, Alka-Seltzer expanded its product line beyond just pain and indigestion relief, adding cold and flu formulations. Today, it remains a well-known over-the-counter remedy, now owned by Bayer, which acquired Miles Laboratories in 1979.