I scream, you scream, we all scream for National Ice Cream Day!
In 1984, President Ronald Reagan designated the third Sunday in July as National Ice Cream Day, part of July, which is National Ice Cream Month.
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Reagan said that those two events should be observed with "appropriate ceremonies and activities." As the temperature outside climbs to almost 90° today, what better excuse could you have to indulge in a delicious frozen dessert than "the President told me to."
So as you enjoy your favorite flavor from your favorite ice cream shop today, here are a few fun ice cream facts for the little bits of conversation you can manage to get in between bites.
- Although it is not actually known when or by who ice cream was invented, its origins can be traced all the way back to the 1st century. Roman emperor Nero ordered ice to be brought down from the mountains and then combined with fruit toppings. The first hand-cranked ice cream maker wasn't developed until 1847 by Nancy Johnson.
- The most popular flavor in the United States is vanilla.
- The United States produces more than 1.6 billion gallons of ice cream annually, more than any other country in the world.
- 40 million gallons of ice cream are exported from the United States to other countries, especially Japan.
- Americans spend almost $20 billion on ice cream and frozen desserts each year.
- It takes about 12 gallons of milk to make one gallon of ice cream.
- The major ingredient in ice cream is air.
It doesn't matter what it is about ice cream that we all enjoy, it is truly one of the most well-known and universal treats in the world.