Candy of the Day - Cracker Jack

Frederick “Fritz” William Rueckheim and his brother Louis produced an early version of Cracker Jack for the first Chicago World's Fair in 1893, though the mixture of popcorn, molasses, and peanuts and went by the inventive name "Candied Popcorn and Peanuts".

Three years later Rueckheim determined that by using a kettle mixer and adding a little oil, he could keep the popcorn kernels separate. The first lot of Cracker Jack was produced, garnering its name from the response of an enthusiastic customer.

The Cracker Jack mascots, Sailor Jack and his dog Bingo, were introduced in 1918 and the sailor boy image resonated with the founder of Cracker Jack so much he had it carved on his tombstone. Bingo was based on a real-life dog named Russell, a stray adopted in 1917 by partner Henry Eckstein who demanded that the dog be used on the packaging.