Who invented chewing gum?

Thomas Adams is considered to be the inventor of modern-day chewing gum. Though the history of chewing gum dates back possibly thousands of years, it was Adams' product of flavored chicle in 1869 that introduced modern chewing gum.

Thomas got the idea of chicle from a Mexican general named Antonio Lopez. He used the chicle to make rain boots and toys before experimenting with chewing gum. His product, Black Jack, was the first mass-marketed gum worldwide.

Most chewing gums today are made from chemicals and synthetic gum, but there are few that are still made from chicle. The earliest chewing gums were natural and made from the resin of trees, such as mastic and spruce trees.