Also, on this day in 1834 Henry Blair of Glenross, Maryland received a patent for a corn planter. He is thought to be the first African American to be granted a patent.
In 1953 Clarence Saunders died (born Aug 9, 1881). Founder of Piggly Wiggly grocery store chain in Memphis, Tennessee, the first true self-service grocery store.
In 1955 Thomas Keller was born. Award winning American chef, restaurateur and cookbook author. His ‘French Laundry’ restaurant in California has been awarded 3 Michelin stars since 2006. He has been awarded several Best Chef awards from the James Beard Foundation, and a long list of accolades and awards as a Chef and for his several restaurants.
In 1962 Irma S. Rombauer died (born Oct 30, 1877). Author of ‘The Joy of Cooking’ – one of the most published cookbooks, she originally had to pay to have the book privately published in 1931. Finally in 1936, publisher Bobbs-Merril Co. published the cookbook and it has been in print ever since.
