Tobacco entered Europe after Christopher Columbus"s discovery of America, in 1492. Tobacco was imported in 1518, in the Iberian Peninsula, by a Spanish missionary.
The first victim of smoking was officer Diego Rodriguez, a huge aficionado of smoking, who was reported to the authorities for swallowing fire and breathing out smoke. Following a summary judgment, it was found that he had "ties to the devil", for which reason he was sentenced to 10 years of forced labor by the Spanish inquisition.
From Portugal, the plant spread to the entire Europe, thanks to the French ambassador in Lisbon, Jean Nicot, who recommended it as a cure for all ailings.
After Europe, tobacco was introduced in the Near East and then in Africa, Asia, and Oceania.
In 1811, Napoleon created in France the monopoly of tobacco, an institution which was then implemented by other countries, allowing them to earn considerable amounts of money.
In Romania, tobacco was brought in by Turks, in mid 16th century, and a tax was immediately introduced, named the "tobacco haraci".
The first factories for processing tobacco appeared in 1812 in Moldova and in Muntenia in 1821.
1864 - By decree of ruler Alexandru Ioan Cuza, the state establishes its monopoly on tobacco.
1879- The state takes over the administration of the monopoly of tobaccos. The private company becomes a public corporation, and is operated by the Ministry of Finance, under the name of the General Department of the Public Corporation of State Monopolies.
1906 - The experimental station for growing tobacco. The Belvedere tobacco manufacture of Bucharest wins the gold medal for the best products, at the anniversary fair held that year.
1918- Apart from the factories of Bucharest and Iași, four more get created: Timişoara, Cluj, Sfântul Gheorghe and Chişinău. The Public Corporation of
