MAY 8 - Today in Food History• National Coconut Cream Pie Day (Coconut Cream Pie Recipe) • Have a Coke Day (see 1886 below) (Coca Cola Trivia & Facts) • [Herb Week] (May 4-10, 2025) On this day in:1842 Emil Chrstian Hansen was born (died Aug 27, 1909). He was a Danish botanist who developed new methods to culture yeast. He revolutionized the beer industry, and proved that there are different species of yeast. He refused to patent the method, but instead made it available for free to other brewers. 1855 George W. Brown of Galesburg, Illinois received a patent for a 'Seed Planter.' 1855 John Gates was born (died Aug 9, 1911). Gates was an inventor, promoter and barbed wire manufacturer. He helped convince Western ranchers to adopt the use of barbed wire. (Barbed Wire Trivia) 1886 Coca Cola is first sold to the public at Jacob's Pharmacy in Atlanta, Georgia. (see also March 12, 1894) 1914 U.S. Congress passed law designating 2nd Sunday in May as Mother's Day. (President Wilson issued the requested proclamation on May 9.) 1961 The U.S. Department of the Interior opened the first practical seawater desalination plant in Freeport, Texas. It could produce about 1 million gallons of water at a cost of $1.25 per thousand gallons. (see also June 21, 1961) 1968 Laurence M. Klauber died. Klauber was an American herpetologist and inventor who was a rattlesnake expert. If you want to know anything or everything about rattlesnakes, see his book "Rattlesnakes: Their Habits, Life Histories and Influence on Mankind." 1980 The World Health Organization declared that smallpox had been eradicated worldwide. 2000 The San Francisco Board of Supervisors approved legislation banning discrimination based on Height or Weight. The ban became law on May 26 when then Mayor Willie Brown signed the legislation. 2020 Gerber, the iconic baby food brand, has chosen Magnolia Earl as its 2020 Gerber Baby, the first adopted baby chosen as the company's 'spokes-baby since the tradition began in 1928..
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