International Fortune Cookie Day
July 20
Historical records indicate the original fortune cookie was invented in Japan. It has no mention or any association with China as the country of origin. The first actual depiction of fortune cookies goes back to 1878. The first fully automated fortune cookie machine, however, was created in 1980. World’s largest producer of fortune cookies, Wonton Food, has 15,000 unique fortunes in its database. Wonton Food produces over 4 million cookies every day.
International Chess Day
July 20
Chess is said to have been originated in India during the Gupta empire and subsequently reached the West in the 9th century. The modern chess board as we see it today appeared first in Europe in 1090. The new move where the pawn could move two steps instead of one was introduced in Spain in 1280. The word “checkmate” comes from the Arabic word “shah mat” which translates to “The king is dead” in English. The longest game lasted for 269 moves and ended in a draw. Players in their first year are called “Rookies”. This name came up from the last pieces of chess to move into action called “Rooks”.
Today’s Birthdays of Note….
Julianne Hough – Dancer – born in Salt Lake City, Utah
Carlos Santana – Guitarist – born in Autlan, Mexico
