Corn flakes
From ArticleWorld
Corn flakes were invented as an accident by Dr. John Harvey Kellogg. He was the superintendent of a sanitarium and an Adventist. He was constantly trying to make recipes that would suit the vegetarian diet of the members.
One time him and his brother were forced to deal with other pressing matters and left some cooked wheat to sit over a period of time. When they returned they had found that the wheat had gone stale, but due to an overly tight budget they had to improvise. The rolled the stale wheat into sheets of dough, instead they got flakes, which they roasted and served to the patrons and patients of the sanitarium. In one month they had the patent registered for their creation.
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Kelloggs
The flakes of grain served with milk became a favorite among the patients. The brothers started to experiment with other types of grains. With this invention of corn flakes and the desire to mass market it, Kelloggs was born. Cornflakes were the first thing that they marketed as a cereal.
Adding prizes
In a hopes of increasing sales, the bothers added Funny Jungleland Moving Pictures which was the first prizes that were placed in the boxes of cereal. This started a trend that is a staple for cereals to this day.
Next big thing
The brothers continued to experiment with other grains and stumbled upon a discovery with rice. This discovery would later become their second big hits, Rice Krispies. These went on sale in 1929.
Rivalry
C.W. Post, a former employee started a rival company and created his brand of corn flakes under the company name of Post. This rival company would be the second company in the United States that would create this manner of breakfast alternative.
To date, both companies are the premiere cereal companies out today. This rivalry was something that would last for over a hundred years.