February 11, 2021 – National Peppermint Patty Day | National Inventors’ Day

Did You Know That Tesla and Mark Twain Were Friends?

Welcome to February 11th, 2021 on the National Day Calendar. Today we celebrate snappy patties and a little creative spark from our friends.

Long before Charles Schultz began nettling Charlie Brown with the bracing character of Peppermint Patty, the icy cool candy of chocolate and mint was being perfected on the Isle of Man. Here the Quiggins brothers created the soft mint cakes enrobed in chocolate that would eventually form The Kendal Mint Cake Company.  But the ones we celebrate in the U.S. got their start in the York Cone factory, where they had to pass the snap test.  If they didn’t snap in two they were out! These are the same candies we enjoy today as York Peppermint Patties which just goes to show that snappiness is a virtue in our neck of the woods.  On National Peppermint Patty Day enjoy your own bracing kick of cool.

Nicola Tesla was one of the most important minds of the modern era, with inventions ranging from the radio to remote control. When testing his creations, he sometimes got a hand from Mark Twain. Tesla had long been a fan, and when the two met, they immediately became friends. Twain would often stop by Tesla’s laboratory to see what his friend was working on. During his visits, he helped with electrical testing, had X-rays shot at his head, and stood on something dubbed the earthquake machine to find its effects on the human body. Twain was so fond of the inventor that he based the main character in A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court on him. On National Inventors Day, we celebrate the men and women who brought their ideas to life and the people who supported them along the way. 

I’m Anna Devere and I’m Marlo Anderson.  Thanks for joining us as we Celebrate Every Day.


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