Former first lady Eleanor Roosevelt, 75, appeared in a television commercial for Good Luck brand margarine in 1959. She was paid $35,000 (equivalent to more than a quarter million dollars […]
Tag: historical figure
George Washington’s mess kit from Revolutionary War
George Washington’s well-appointed personal camp chest, or “mess kit,” enabled him to dine in a manner reflecting his position as commander of the Continental Army, according to the U.S. National […]
Johnny Appleseed’s obituary in 1845
John Chapman, popularly known as Johnny Appleseed, died suddenly at the age of 70 on March 18, 1845 in Fort Wayne, Indiana. His obituary in the Fort Wayne Sentinel newspaper: […]
Benjamin Franklin gives up eating meat for a time
“When about 16 years of age I happened to meet with a book, written by one Tryon, recommending a vegetable diet. I determined to go into it. My brother, being […]
John Glenn’s first space meals crumbled and floated around
The first American to orbit the earth, John Glenn “carried a menu of freeze-dried powders, tubed spaghetti and roast beef, and a variety of foods reduced to bit-sized cubes The […]
The passage in “The Jungle” by Upton Sinclair that sickened America in 1906
“The Jungle” was a 1906 novel by the American writer Upton Sinclair about a family of immigrants from Bohemia struggling to survive under horrific working and living conditions in Chicago. […]
Ötzi the Iceman’s last meal 5,300 years ago
Twenty years after his frozen body was discovered in an Alpine glacier on the Austrian-Italian border, researchers found Ötzi’s stomach full of food tucked under his ribs. In the hour […]
Rich Spot of Earth: Thomas Jefferson’s Revolutionary Garden at Monticello
by Peter J. Hatch From the publisher: Were Thomas Jefferson to walk the grounds of Monticello today, he would no doubt feel fully at home in the 1,000-foot terraced vegetable […]
Cause of “milk sickness” that killed Abraham Lincoln’s mother
In the fall of 1818, 34 year-old Nancy Hanks Lincoln, mother of 11 year-old Sarah and 9 year-old Abraham, died unexpectedly from “milk sickness,” a mysterious disease afflicting pioneers in […]
Hamilton Cookbook: Cooking, Eating, and Entertaining in Hamilton’s World
by Laura Kumin From the publisher: The Hamilton Cookbook takes you into Hamilton’s home and to his table, with historical information, recipes, and tips on how you can prepare food […]