From Corn Flakes to Corn Pops, Raisin Bran to Cracklin’ Oat Bran, Cocoa Pebbles to CoCo Wheats and Cinnamon Life to Cinnamon Toast Crunch, cereal is a morning (and late-night) ritual for many Quad-Citians, but how much do you know about your bowl of cereal? March 7 is ‘National Cereal Day,’ and here are some tidbits to think about the next time you have Alpha-Bits!
According to the National Day Calendar:
- Ferdinand Schumacher, a German immigrant, began the cereal revolution in 1854 with a hand oats grinder. His German Mills American Oatmeal Company was the nation’s first commercial oatmeal manufacturer. In 1877, Schumacher adopted the Quaker symbol, the first registered trademark for a breakfast cereal.
- The cereal industry began as Dr. John Harvey Kellogg experimented with granola. He boiled wheat, rolled it into thin films and baked the flakes in the oven. He acquired a patent in 1891, and in 1895, he launched Corn Flakes, which captured a national market overnight.
- In 1906, William K. Kellogg, after working for John, his brother, broke away, bought the Corn Flakes rights and set up the Battle Creek Toasted Corn Flake Company.
- Charles W. Post introduced Grape-nuts in 1898 and soon followed with Post Toasties.
- Because of Kellogg and Post, the city of Battle Creek, Michigan is nicknamed the “Cereal Capital of the World.”
- Dr. Kellogg is credited as the one who first give away prizes with cereal. Initially, the prize was available for mailing a proof of purchase, but the prizes were soon being included inside the box.
According to National Today:
- Wheaties first featured an athlete, New York Yankees first baseman Lou Gehrig, on its box in 1934 and has since featured more than 850 athletes on the iconic orange box.
- Cereals with fruit, marshmallows and other sweet bits mixed in, like Lucky Charms, were introduced in 1964.
- Debuting in 1984, Mr. T Cereal was the first licensed ready-to-eat cereal manufactured and marketed by the Quaker Oats Company.
Aside from Fruity and Cocoa varieties, there have been more than 20 different varieties of “Pebbles” cereal, including Dino Pebbles, Cinna-Crunch Pebbles, Ice Cream Pebbles, Dino S’mores Pebbles, Cupcake Pebbles, Candy Corn Pebbles and Cinnamon Pebbles.
