Chocolate Milkshake Day
September 12
The word “milkshake” first appeared in print in 1885. At this time, milkshakes were an eggnog-like drink made with whiskey. However, by the turn of the century, milkshakes were no longer alcoholic and were made with flavored syrups, such as vanilla, chocolate, or strawberry. Milkshakes originally got their name from being served in bars. If the customer enjoyed the milkshake, he shook hands with the bartender. If not, the bartender didn’t get a tip. The milkshake made it into the mainstream when in 1922 a Walgreens employee in Chicago, Ivar “Pop” Coulson, took an old-fashioned malted milk (milk, chocolate, and malt) and added two scoops of ice cream, creating a drink which became popular at a surprising rate, soon becoming a high-demand drink for young adults around the country. According to The Guinness Book of World Records, in 2000 Ira Freehof, made the world’s largest milkshake. At 6,000 gallons it was the equivalent of 50,000 normal-sized shakes. Steven Poplawski invented the electric blender in 1922 just for milkshakes. Before that, the effort of shaking them up must have required a lot of upper body motion.
National Crochet Day
September 12
Crochet is a process of creating textiles by using a crochet hook to interlock loops of yarn, thread, or strands of other materials. The name is derived from the French term crochet, meaning ‘small hook’. Hooks can be made from a variety of materials, such as metal, wood, bamboo, or plastic. The key difference between crochet and knitting, beyond the implements used for their production, is that each stitch in crochet is completed before the next one is begun, while knitting keeps many stitches open at a time. Crochet helped pull the Irish out of the depths of the devastating potato famine (1845–1850). A group of Ursuline nuns taught local women thread crochet, which became known as “Irish Crochet.” It became incredibly popular and provided much-needed income. Crochet became increasingly popular in the 1920s when women stopped wearing corsets and began to crochet lacy underwear. While spinning is the oldest fiber craft (20,000 BC), the earliest known written reference to crochet is from 1812. Crochet may have arrived late onto the fabric-creating stage because people preferred more economical weaving techniques. Crochet typically uses more thread than other techniques.
Today’s Birthdays of Note….
Jesse Owens – Gold Medalist 1936 Olympics – born in Oakville, Alabama
Jennifer Hudson – Academy Award Actress & Singer – born in Chicago, Illinois
