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It’s National Popcorn Day!

January 19

|Recurring Event (See all)

An event every year that begins at 12:00 am on day 19 of January, repeating indefinitely

It’s National Popcorn Day! 🍿🍿🍿

Popcorn originated in the Americas and was first cultivated thousands of years ago – some of the earliest kernels were found in Peru and date back 6,700 years (!) 🌽🌽🌽 Soon, European settlers loved popcorn just as much as their Native American neighbors.

Mass consumption of popcorn didn’t begin until the turn of the century however, when popcorn-popping machines were developed. The later invention of microwave popcorn increased consumption even more – today, the United States leads the world in both popcorn production and consumption. Americans eat roughly 15 billion quarts of popcorn a year!

Did you know? Popcorn became associated with the movie theaters as popcorn vendors saw an ideal business opportunity. Standing outside of theaters, the vendors did brisk business. At first, theaters banned snacks outright to prevent a mess, but soon allowed vendors inside to drum up business during the Great Depression. A relatively cheap snack, popcorn served as an affordable treat.

 

 

Corn-Shelling, Eastman Johnson, 1864

-Written by Anna Zemaitaitis, Communications and Design Officer

Details

Date:
January 19
Event Category: