DECEMBER 29 - Today in Food History• Pepper Pot Day • St. Trophimus of Arles, patron against drought • [Kwanzaa] begins (Dec 26 to Jan 1) A celebration of African American family, community and culture.
On this day in:1766 Charles Macintosh was born (died July 25, 1843). Scottish chemist and inventor of waterproof fabrics. The Mackintosh, or Macintosh raincoat was named fro him.
1800 Charles Goodyear was born. He invented the process named 'vulcanization' which made the commercial use of rubber possible. Vulcanized rubber didn't become brittle in winter and turn gummy in summer as natural rubber did. 1837 A threshing machine powered by a horse on a treadmill was patented in Winthrop, Maine, by Hiram A. and John A. Pitts.
1896 'Lava' soap trademark was registered by William Waltke & Co. of St. Louis, Missouri.
1908 G. & J. G. Smith registered the 'The Glenlivet' trademark (pure malt scotch whiskey). 1921 Robert C. Baker was born (died March 13, 2006). While a Poultry and Food Science professor at Cornell University from 1949-1989 he developed chicken nuggets (keeping the breading on was the key), turkey ham, poultry hot dogs and many other products. He founded Cornell's Institute of Food Science and Marketing in 1970, and in 2004 was inducted into the American Poultry Hall of Fame.
1926 'Devil in the Cheese' opened at the Charles Hopkins Theatre in New York City. 1947 Ted Danson, American actor, was born. Best known for his role as bartender Sam Malone on the TV series 'Cheers'.
1964 Boyd Coffee Company registered 'Flav-R-Flo' trademark for Coffee Making Equipment.
1972 The last issue of 'Life' magazine was published. 1989 Canada becomes the first country to ban smoking on domestic airline flights.
1992 Canada bans the capture of beluga whales for export. 1997 Fear of the 'bird flu' led Hong Kong to order its entire population of chickens, over 1 million birds, to be killed.
2005 Antoine's Restaurant in New Orleans reopened exactly 4 months after Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans and the Gulf Coast.
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