FOOD CALENDAR SECTION: Today in Food History, Timeline & Food Holidays: National Food Days, Weeks & Months

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Food Timeline - 50,000 BC to 2017

MAY 18 - Today in Food History

• National Aperitif Day 2017 (declared annually in press release by Maison Lillet, the celebrated vintner in Bordeaux)
• National Cheese Soufflé Day
• I love Reese’s Day
• St. Theodotus' Day, patron of innkeepers.

• Food Allergy Awareness Week (May 14-20, 2017)
• American Craft Beer Week (May 15-21, 2017)
  [Brewers Association]
• National Women’s Health Week (May 14-20, 2017) begins on Mother’s Day
• World Trade Week  (May 14-20, 2017) Every year, the President of the United States declares the third full week of May as World Trade Week.
• UK: British Sandwich Week (May 14-20, 2017) The British Sandwich Association (Sandwich Recipes)
• UK: National Vegetarian Week (May 15-21, 2017)
  [The Vegetarian Society] (Vegetarian Trivia & Facts)

On this day in:

1808 Elijah Craig died.  A Baptist minister in Kentucky, he is an important figure in the invention of Bourbon Whiskey.  He ran a paper mill and started a distillery in 1789.  Legend credits him with being the first to use new charred oak barrels to age corn whiskey, which is a key step in making bourbon. (Bourbon Trivia & Facts)

1897 The Dow Chemical Company incorporated to sell bleach on commercial scale.

1906 Louis Bignon died (born June 26, 1816). French agriculturist, restaurateur and chef. His Cafe Riche became the most famous in Paris and was known worldwide. He invested in farms and vineyards and was awarded the Legion of Honor for his agricultural work.

1933 Congress created the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) to provide flood control and economic development in the Tennessee Valley.

1935 Allan Burns was born.  Screenwriter and producer, co-creator of ‘The Mary Tyler Moore Show’ and Rhoda.  He also created the character Captain Horatio Magellan Crunch for Quaker Oats 'Cap'n Crunch' breakfast cereal.

1953 T.W.A. made the fist nonstop transcontinental flight from Los Angeles to New York City in DC-7.

1955 Chow Yun-Fat was born.  Internationally famous Hong Kong actor.

1988 Charles Dawson ('Daws') Butler died (born Nov 16, 1916).  Voice actor. He was the original voice of Cap'n Crunch, mascot of the Quaker Oats cereal of the same name. Also the voice of Huckleberry Hound, Yogi Bear and dozens of other cartoon characters.

1994 The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) declared the first genetically engineered tomato, the 'Flavr Savr' was safe for human consumption. It was not a commercial success and production ended in 1997.
(Tomato Trivia & Facts)

1995 Elisha Cook Jr. died.  A well known character actor in films and TV.  I remember him mainly in his role as Wilmer, in the 'Maltese Falcon'.

2001 Hong Kong ordered more than 1 million chickens and other poultry killed to halt the spread of another bird flu epidemic.

2005 Reminiscent of Hitchcocks movie 'The Birds,' large black grackles attacked pedestrians in downtown Houston, Texas after a young bird had fallen from its nest.