Famous Sandwiches In History

For most people, a good sandwich makes a great, quick meal. (Let the record show Heidi is not ‘most people.’)

So, while all around the world, people debate which sandwich is the best, who makes the best sandwich, and what are the ingredients in an authentic cheesesteak, we thought we’d take a look some of the famous sandwiches in history.

Some might tell you that Mama Cass Elliott choked to death on a ham sandwich. First off, we would never include that on this list. Also, it’s not true. (Sorry.) Also, the fact that John Lennon’s last meal was a corned beef sandwich is also not on this list, because, it makes us sad just to think about it. But, thankfully, sandwich history is not always so depressing.

The first sandwich was supposedly made for John Montagu, the 4th Earl of Sandwich. The Earl had a awful gambling addiction, and during one long game, he asked the cook to whip up something he could eat without leaving the table. And, while that’s the story on how the sandwich was born, people in Greece and Turkey were eating foods ‘sandwiched’ between two pieces of bread long before the Earl came along.

During the Great Depression, Eleanor and Franklin Roosevelt would eat bread & butter sandwiches to show that they were sympathetic to the plight of so many Americans. FDR’s favorite food was a grilled cheese oozing with cheese, and when King George VI visited the Roosevelts’ home in Hudson, NY, they served hot dogs.

Maybe the most famous sandwich is the corned beef sandwich that Gemini 3 astronaut John Young snuck into the capsule on March 23rd, 1965. On the tape of the mission, you can hear Gus Grissom ask, “where did that come from?” as Young pulled the sandwich from his suit. Apparently, it smelled great, but the big problem was that weightlesness led to the sandwich to start to fall apart. Thankfully, the sandwich is now preserved for history.

Could there be a more famous sandwich in history?

Well, Meg Ryan’s famous orgasm in When Harry Met Sally was over a turkey sandwich, so, you tell us.


Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

RSS Listen Now

  • Why? Episode 250- Dr Megavolt
  • Why? Episode 249- British Naturism
  • Why? Episode 248- Atlanta Braves Organist Matthew Kaminski
  • Why? Episode 247- The Klingon Language Institute
  • Why? Episode 246- Michigan Medium Angels Connie & Laura
  • Why? Episode 245- Taxidermist Jeff Holmin
  • Why? Episode 244- Fertility Technology
  • Why? Episode 243- The National Mustard Museum
  • Why? Episode 242- Muzzins
  • Why? Episode 241- Musician Tammy Glover on her musical "Wendy, My Darling"
  • Why? Episode 240- Clone-a-Willy
  • Why? Episode 239- The World Toe Wrestling Federation
  • Why? Episode 238- Private Investigator Orlando Wilson
  • Why? Episode 237 The Museum of Classic Sci-fi
  • Why? Episode 236- Human Fountains
  • Why? Episode 235- Without A Cue's Golden Girls Murder Mystery
  • Why? Episode 234- The exciting sport of Jai-Alai
  • Why? Episode 233- New Acquisitions for the Rubber Chicken Museum
  • Why? Episode 232- Songwriter Holly Knight
  • Why? Episode 231 Keeping it Hot with Ashleigh Renard