1. Flavored ices may have been eaten in Italy as early as the mid-1500’s

2. The first ice cream parlor is said to have opened in New York City in 1776.

3. In 1843, American Nancy Johnson invented the hand cranked ice cream maker. Johnson’s invention made it possible for many more people to make and enjoy ice cream. Agnes Marshall of England created a similar device later that year.

4. In 1851, Jacob Fussell converted his Baltimore milk plant into the world’s first ice cream factory.

5. The ice cream cone became popular at the 1904 World’s Fair held in St. Louis.

6. The most ice cream in the world is consumed in America where the average person eats about 15-20 quarts each year.

7. Some types of ice cream are more than 75% air.

8. Vanilla is the favorite flavor for nearly one out of every three people who eat ice cream.

9. Ice cream is second only to cookies as the favorite dessert in North America.

10. The U.S. produces more than 800 million gallons of ice cream every year.

11. Some types of ice cream use carrageenan' to improve texture and thickness. Carrageenan is a type of seaweed.