FEBRUARY 5 - Today in Food History
• National Chocolate Fondue Day
• World Nutella Day
• UK: Bramley Apple Week (Feb 2-8, 2015)
• African Heritage & Health Week February 1-7, 2015
(commemorates the foods, flavors and healthy cooking techniques that were core to the wellbeing of African ancestors from Africa, South America, the Caribbean, and the American South.)
On this day in:
1644 The first livestock branding law in the American colonies is passed in Connecticut. All cattle, sheep and swine over 6 months old must be ear-marked or branded. The fine for non-compliance was 34 cents per head.
1799 John Lindley was born (died Nov 1, 1865). British botanist and horticulturist. Wrote 'The Theory and Practice of Horticulture' (1840) and 'The Vegetable Kingdom' (1846).
1840 Sir Hiram Maxim was born. An American born inventor. Among his hundreds of inventions were a hair curling iron, a mousetrap, an automatic sprinkling system, gas motors, and a machine gun.
1850 Gail Borden was issued U.S. patent No. 7,066 for a method to produce 'Portable Desiccated Soup-Bread' - a meat biscuit capable of long term storage.
1872 Lafayette Benedict Mendel was born. An American biochemist who published various papers on nutrition. His work on vitamins and proteins helped establish modern concepts about nutrition.
1884 Willis Johnson of Cincinnati, Ohio received U.S. patent No. 292,821 for an 'Egg Beater'.
1907 Frederic Martin Sr. of Columbus, Ohio received a patent for a 'Washboard' ("improved metallic plate having a series of staggered projections upon the face thereof...adapted for use as a rubbing-plate for washboards")
1914 William Burroughs, novelist, was born. He wrote 'Naked Lunch.'
1953 Rationing of sweets ends in Great Britain.
1967 Tom Smothers fell into a vat of chocolate today. (The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour premiered).
1972 'American Pie' by Don McLean was number one on the music charts.
1981 The largest Jell-O mold ever is made in Brisbane, Australia, using 9,246 gallons of Jell-O.