Well, hello, 007!  James Bond knows best - it's classy, simple, and grown-up.  James Bond aside, European legend has that the first Martini can be traced to 1750s France, where a German musician (stage name - Jean Paul Martini) was fond of mixing white wine and gin.  He was a popular guy, so the name stayed, even though the cocktail has changed over the years. 
North American legend assigns Jerry Thomas, a San Francisco bartender in the 1850s, as the father of Martinis.  Mr. Thomas made a cocktail for a gold miner who was on his way to Martinez, California.  Another legend attributes the origin to a saloon in Martinez, where the miner stopped on his way to San Francisco.  Yet a third legend gives the name to the Italian vermouth company, Martini and Rossi, who began shipping vermouth to New York in the late 1800s
Today, Martinis have evolved and are one of the most popular cocktails in the world, whether shaken or stirred, straight or on the rocks.  There are many, many versions - something for everyone, from a tired miner to a German musician!