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National Ice Cream Sandwich Day

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national ice cream sandwich day

Jersey Shore circa 1905

Today is National Ice Cream Sandwich Day.

According to Geraldine Quinzio, author of Sugar and Snow: A History of Ice Cream Making, the ice cream sandwich was invented in 1899 by a pushcart peddler in New York City. It consisted of vanilla ice cream pressed between two thin graham crackers.

In July of 1900, The New York Tribune reported that the vendor was so busy making the sandwiches that he didn’t have time to make change and required all customers to pay exactly one penny.

The photograph you see here was taken at the New Jersey shore in 1905  and shows a popular pushcart on the beach. Supposedly, the modern iteration of the sandwich using rectangular chocolate cookies was created in 1945 by Jerry Newberg, who sold them at Forbes Field in Pittsburgh, PA.

Here are a few of the “fun facts” quoted everywhere from blogs to news outlets today:

  • It’s estimated that 48 ice cream sandwiches are consumed per second in the United States.
  • If all the ice cream sandwiches made during the year were placed end to end, they would circle the globe 3 1/2 times.
  • Almost 50 percent of all ice cream sandwiches are consumed by residents of states on the Eastern seaboard.

We don’t know this trivia’s original source, but we’ve tracked it back to a newspaper article dated December 21, 1995. We hope someone will freshen up those stale statistics. Inquiring minds want to know how many times ice cream sandwiches would wrap around the planet now.

Other versions of the ice cream sandwich have been created all over the world, many predating the American kind. We’ll leave that debate to the food historians.

Happy National Ice Cream Sandwich Day!

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National Intern Day

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National Intern Day, observed on the last Thursday in July, recognizes the hard work and dedication of interns across the country. It was created in 2017 by WayUp, a unique platform that connects college students and recent grads with job opportunities and career advice.

The task of getting an internship has always been a difficult one, often dependent on luck or “who you know.” Most people just starting out don’t have access to traditional on-campus recruiting services.

WayUp, the brainchild of CEO Liz Wessel, has democratized and streamlined the job application process, introducing a single, common form that makes it easy for candidates to apply for jobs and helps prospective employers find suitable candidates and set up interviews.

It’s only fitting that WayUp would seek to acknowledge the bright young people who help make the venture a success. Companies are encouraged to submit nominations for its Intern Awards, which will reward outstanding interns in six areas of expertise. Businesses that visit the holiday’s website and pledge to observe National Intern Day will receive a free kit with information and materials to hold their own in-office intern celebration.

As WayUp grows exponentially, it still has a sense of humor. We noticed this in the Frequently Asked Questions:

Do I need a picture?
A profile picture is not mandatory, but according to industry standards it increases your chances of getting hired by 14x. That does NOT, however, include the following: selfies, awkward pictures taken against white walls, or pictures where a red cup has been cropped out.

Sage advice! Happy National Intern Day!

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National Day of the Cowboy

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national day of the cowboyToday, July 26th, 2025, is the 20th annual National Day of the Cowboy, always observed on the fourth Saturday of July. On March 18, 2016, Idaho became the 11th state to pass a law recognizing the holiday.

The National Day of the Cowboy Organization created this day in 2005 to acknowledge the contributions of the cowboy (and cowgirl) to the history of America.

Celebrate today by watching a classic Western movie, taking in a rodeo, putting on a pair of boots and kicking up your heels, or learning how to throw a lasso.

Have a happy National Day of the Cowboy!

 

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National Lollipop Day

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national lollipop dayToday is National Lollipop Day! Early incarnations of the lollipop date back thousands of years. Archaeologists* have found evidence that ancient Egyptians used honey to preserve fruit, then inserted sticks to make it easier to eat.

New Haven, CT, confectioner George Smith claimed he got the idea for the lollipop from the stirrers he used when mixing sweets. They became coated with candy, and Smith often took them home as a treat for his children.

Smith trademarked the name in 1931, stating that it was inspired by a famous racehorse called Lolly Pop. Many linguists contend it is derived from Northern English slang: “lolly” (tongue) and “pop” (slap).

You can whip up a batch using only four ingredients: sugar, water, corn syrup, and the flavoring of your choice. And the stick, of course.

Happy National Lollipop Day!

*For word nerds (like me) who wonder about the difference between “archaeologist” and “archeologist.”

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