The Coca-Cola bottle was born 100 years ago, yesterday, when its iconic contour bottle—heralded as the “perfect liquid wrapper”—was approved for patent on Nov. 16, 1915.

In 1915, to distinguish itself from copycats and competitors like iKoka-Nola, Ma Coca-Co, Toka-Cola and Koke, Coca-Cola issued a design competition announcement seeking “a bottle so distinct that you would recognize if by feel in the dark or lying broken on the ground.” The best design would win $500 (approximately$11,700 today).