JANUARY 6 - Today in Food History• National Shortbread Day (Short and Shortening) • Bean Day (see 1884 below) (Bean Facts & Trivia)
(Bean Quotes) • National Apple Tree Day (Apple Trivia and Facts) • Diet Resolution Week (Jan 1-7)
(Healthy Diets & Dieting Articles)
On this day in:1877 Canada: The first flour mill in Manitoba opens. 1884 Gregor Johann Mendel died. Mendel was an Austrian botanist whose work was the foundation of the science of genetics. Working mainly with garden peas and beans (some 28,000 plants over 7 years), he discovered what was to become known as the laws of heredity. 1901 Philip Danforth Armour, died. American industrialist who pioneered the use of refrigeration and meat canning. Armour & Co. became the largest meatpacker in the world and this helped Chicago become the meatpacking capital of the world. (The fact that Chicago is the 'Windy City' may have helped also).
(Chicago Food Trivia & Facts) 1910 'Kid Chocolate' (Elgio Saldana) was born. He became Cuba's first world boxing champion in 1931 after defeating Benny Bass for the Jr. Lightweight Championship. 1923 Leah Chase was born (died June 1, 2019). Chef and civil rights activist, known as the 'Queen of Creole Cuisine,' she was co-owner and executive chef of the historic Dooky Chase's Restaurant in New Orleans, Louisiana. [Dooky Chase's Restaurant website] 1929 Sheffeld Farms of New York began using wax paper cartons instead of glass bottles for milk delivery. 1933 Fred Turner was born (died Jan 7, 2013). In 1956 he was one of the first employees hired by McDonald's founder Ray Kroc. He rose quickly through the ranks, and succeeded founder Ray Kroc as CEO in 1977. He founded Hamburger University in 1961 and was a co-founder of Ronald McDonald House Charities.
(McDonald’s Trivia & Facts) 1952 Charles M. Schulz's comic strip 'Peanuts' ran in its first Sunday comic strip. (Daily strips began Oct 2, 1950) 1960 Nigella Lawson was born. English food writer, cook and television host (Nigella Bites, Nigella Feasts, etc.). 1983 A Danish trawler captain is arrested for fishing inside the new UK 12 mile limit. 1988 The famous Paris restaurant 'La Coupole' was sold and eventually replaced by an office building. It was famous for its Welsh rarebit, and had been frequented by James Joyce, Henry Miller and many other notable Americans. (Welsh Rarebit Recipe) 2003 U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Richard Carmona called obesity the fastest growing cause of illness and death in America today. 2011 Donald J. Tyson died (born April 21, 1930). President and CEO of Tyson Foods, he built his fathers Arkansas chicken feed and hatchery business into one of the largest producers of chicken, beef and pork in the world. 2012 Best Western U.S. hotel chain announced plans to build 66 hotels in India, 10 to 15 hotels each year for the next five years. 2020 Borden Dairy Co., one of America’s oldest and largest dairy companies, filed for bankruptcy.
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