On this day in 1937, Hormel Foods first introduced SPAM to America. It's pre-cooked pork and ham in a can, with a little potato starch, salt, and sugar. Sodium nitrate is added to keep it pink; without it, pork tends to turn gray. It also has a gelatinous coating of aspic, which forms when the meat cools.
On this date in 1946,
the bikini was introduced in Paris. That summer, designer Jacques Heim came up with a revealing two-piece outfit, which he called the Atom: "the world's smallest bathing suit." But credit goes to his competitor, French mechanical engineer-turned-swimsuit designer Louis Réard, who unveiled his design on July 5. He predicted that the skimpy swimwear would cause a cultural explosion to rival the recent nuclear tests at Bikini Atoll, and that's where he got the name that stuck.
In 1954,
Elvis Presley recorded his first single, "That's All Right (Mama)," on this date. Elvis was in the studio at Sun Records, and Sam Phillips wasn't too impressed with what he'd done so far: lackluster renditions of "Harbor Lights" and "I Love You Because." He called for a break, and Elvis started jamming with the band, knocking out an up-tempo rendition of blues singer Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup's 1946 single. Phillips stuck his head out of the control room to ask what they were doing. Guitarist Scotty Moore said, "We don't know," and Phillips ordered, "Well, back up, try to find a place to start, and do it again." It was released on July 19, and was a regional hit. It didn't get big nationally, but it kicked off Elvis's career, and a new form of popular music: rock and roll.
Source:
The Writer's Almanac with Garrison Keillor
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