Merck's history dates all the way back to 1668, when Friedrich Jacob Merck bought an apothecary in Darmstadt, Germany. In 1827, Heinrich Merck transformed the company into a drugmaker.

Merck (NYSE: MRK) is known today as a pharmaceuticals industry leader with a market cap of over $170 billion and a solid dividend. But the stock didn't always claim the value that it does today ...