Artificial sweeteners have been around longer than you might imagine, and as long as they have been around they have raised questions and produced challenges for those trying to protect the food supply. The Fascinating history of Saccharin, the first artificial sweetener, is a story of science, industry, regulation, and consumers seeking a sweet treat without the guilt.
The Reconquista, or Christian reconquest of Iberia, took nearly 800 years. The fighting did not come without great attempts by Muslim powers across the strait trying to reestablish their presence in mainland Europe. The last gasp of that effort came in the 1330s, when the powerful Marinid sultanate of what is modern Morocco invaded in an attempt to reverse Christian gains and secure the perilous position of the Sultanate of Granada.