April 6, 2022 - National Caramel Popcorn Day | National Teflon Day

Welcome to April 6, 2022 on the National Day Calendar. Today we celebrate sweet success and a happy accident. When German immigrants Frederick and Louis Ruckheim first sold their caramel popcorn in Chicago, they had no idea what a huge success it would be. According to legend, one customer loved the snack so much that he exclaimed “That’s a crackerjack!” which meant it was pretty awesome. And that name stuck. The brothers called the new treat Cracker Jack and it soon became a favorite with people across the country. However, the thing that really put Cracker Jack on the map was the song “Take Me Out to the Ballgame.” It’s one thing to have people buying your product, but it’s another to have an entire stadium full of sports fans singing “buy me some peanuts and Cracker Jack.” On National Caramel Popcorn Day, enjoy this classic snack. Watching a baseball game is optional. In 1938, Dr. Plunkett, a chemist for DuPont, was working on an idea for refrigeration when he stumbled upon the formula for polytetrafluro ethylene. He and his assistant discovered that this waxy material was resistant to corrosion. This is why it was first used in the Manhattan Project to produce the atomic bomb. Later it was styled into the Happy Pan, which created a slippery surface that proved to be better than cooking oil. Today, teflon reduces friction in fabric, aerospace fuel tanks and medical devices. On National Teflon Day, we celebrate this Hall of Fame discovery that helps us give the brush off to anything sticky. I’m Anna Devere and I’m Marlo Anderson. Thanks for joining us as we Celebrate Every Day. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices