Wild tobacco plant was present 4,000 years ago, coincided with the civilization of Middle and Southern America Indians. The formal history of tobacco production was marked on 12th October 1942 by Christopher Columbus adventure of finding the America; he detected that indigenes in Antil archipelago were dancing while smoking rolled leaves which were called Tobaccos.

Thousands of B.C years, Indians planted tobacco on the vast area of Southern America, Middle America, Antil archipelago and some other places.

Tobacco was introduced in Europe in 1496 – 1498 by Roman Pano (a Spanish missionary) after his returning from America. In 1556, Andre Teve took tobacco grains from Brazil to plant in Spain and Portugal. Jean Nicot, French Ambassador in Lisbon offered the first tobaccos to French Queen Featerina Mechssi. In his opinion, one who was suffering from headache could recover by sniffing tobacco powder.

Tobacco was planted in Russia in 1697 by Petro Valeski after his visit to England and some other nations. The King Sulemam permitted to plant tobacco in Bulgaria by the year 1687.

In German since 1640 there was a tobacco cigarette factory in Nordeburg and in 1788 a cigar factory was set up in Hamburg.

In Asian and Pacific countries, tobacco was planted in the 18th century.

Cultivation technique and biological technologies developed rapidly to produce various types of tobacco to meet demands of processing industry, diversified demand for cigarette and especially exportation.

For long time, tobacco was called many names such as La Herba Sanena (medical herbal), Herba Panacea (herbal to treat all disease), L’Herbe etrange (extraordinary medical herbal), L’Herbe d’Ambassadeur (souvernir plant of Ambassador name in Lisbon). After that such names were faded away, left behind “Nicotiana” which was for Jean Nicot, who had the merit of introducing tobacco in Europe. At present, there are many countries calling tobacco the same, Tabacco (England and America); Tabak (German and Russia), Trutrun (Turkey and Bulgaria); Tutun (Rumania), etc.

Tobacco is planted widely in various natural conditions with criteria quite different from its primitive time. Distribution area of cultivation is from 40o of Southern latitude to 60o Northern latitude, but mostly concentrates at Northern latitudes. Tobacco is plentiful genetic and widely suitable. Under direct influence by the human being, tobacco is different in quality and appearance. Special tobaccos are flue-cure with specific taste, that is Virginia (America, Zimbabwe, etc.), Oriental – a specialty of Mediterranean, famous cigar of Cuba and Sumatra (Indonesia).

Smoking cigarette was rapidly spread to European countries. In 1561, Jean Nicot, French Ambassador in Lisbon introduced tobacco powder to the Queen Catherine de Medici, who was suffering from headache at half. The tobacco powder made her sneeze and her pain was relieved. It was surprise for French aristocrats, but they started using tobacco as a fashionable lifestyle in the circle of aristocrats. To admire Nicot, tobacco was called Nicotine.

Spanish and Portuguese people initiated “geographical discovery”, leaded to extension of international trade and rapid development of commerce and industry. Other countries like Netherlands, England, France and Belgium rusted to seek their markets worldwide. Tobacco was one of important goods exported to Asia and Africa by European countries.

Until 1592, a century after Columbus had discovered America; tobacco was planted in Belgium, Spain, Switzerland and England. It was then spread to the Philippines, India, Java, West Africa and China, even to Mongolia and Siberia by traders.

Entering into 17^th century, tobacco was controversial in Europe. It separated social views, but European governments couldn’t forbid it because of a huge amount of money in tobacco tax contributed to national budgets.

In 18^th and 19^th centuries, the industrial revolutions were completed in Europe and America. The technological and scientific inventions strongly promoted industrial production. Tobacco industry was born and brought about a greater profit.

In 1881, James Bonsack, an American invented a machine which could produce 120,000 cigarettes per day.

James “Buck” Duke, who had become the first chairman of BAT 21 years after, bought 2 those machines and then the cut tobacco company of his family changed to produce cigarettes. Cigarettes gradually replaced other tobaccos such as tobacco using pipes, chewing tobacco and tobacco powder.

At the end of the 19^th and throughout the 20^th century, Capitalism changed to monopoly period. Small companies went bankrupt in turn or joined the production teams, which owned a great capital, advanced technology and science for effective productivity, high quality to control the markets.

Like other production industries, there was a concentralization occurred in tobacco industry. A lot of multinational tobacco teams were presented such as B.A.T, Philip Morris (America), Japan Tobacco International (Japan), Imperial and Gallagher (England) and Altadis Franco – Spanish (France – Spain) etc., which now rules of planting and blending tobacco, producing cut tobacco, cigarettes, specialized machines and other materials in the world.