Dr. Pepper was actually introduced at the 1904 World's Fair, along with the ice cream cone.

There are many reasons why Dr. Pepper is named just so. One story says that the "pepper" name comes from pepsin, which could have been an early ingredient in the formula. Another goes that, because many early soft drinks gave energy as medicinal benefits (like the coca plant in early coca cola), it gave alot of 'pep'. But the best reason is because there was a real Dr.Pepper. One such, Dr. Charles Pepper, had his name honored for the drink for allowing W.B. Morrison (the first guy to really market the product) to marry his daughter. Census data even backs this story up to a certain extent. Still, whatever the reason, Dr.Pepper has an original name that has spawned numerous, inferior brands (such as Mr. Pibb, or Dr.Thunder, a regional brand) and continues to be enjoyed by all to this day.