The Merck Universe by Heather Jones

Merck can trace its roots all the way back to the seventeenth century when Friedrich Jacob Merck opened up shop as an apothecary in a small city in what is today southern Germany.
After the American company struck out on its own in the aftermath of World War I, it would grow by leaps and bounds throughout the twentieth century—not just by increasing its
own manufacturing and research capabilities but also by merging with other pharmaceutical companies. Here’s a chart of some of the most important unions, as well as spinoffs, that have shaped the company over the decades.