Summertime will soon be here, and that means cookouts and trips to the ballpark.
That means it's time to start thinking about hot dogs, the iconic favorite food of warm weather and good times.
Here are 10 things you may not know about them.
Number 10. Americans eat 150 million hot dogs on the 4th of July. That may sound like a lot, but it's just a drop in the summertime bucket. From Memorial Day to Labor Day about 7 billion are consumed.
Number 9. Ballparks serve up over 20 million hot dogs a year. Red Sox and Cubs fans seem to love them most,
as more than 3 million are consumed at Wrigley Field and Fenway Park alone.
Number 8. Babe Ruth was a big fan. It's rumored that he once scarfed down 12 hot dogs and 8 bottles of soda between double-header games.
Number 7. Despite ancient Roman connections, the modern hot dog has reportedly been around since 1484. That's what the German town of Frankfurt claims, anyway, as that's when they say they invented it. The people of Vienna beg to differ.
Number 6. 7-11 has bragging rights for most sold. Nationwide, the always-there-for-you convenience store sells around 100 million of its grilled hot dogs a year.
Number 5. According to Guinness World Records, the longest hot dog measured over 668 feet. It was created in Paraguay in 2011. Making it required more than 260 pounds of meat and 220 pounds of flour for the bun amongst other ingredients.
Number 4. Asking 23 hundred dollars for one isn't unheard of. That's the price tag New York's 230 Fifth put on one of its dogs. It was made of aged Wagyu beef and topped with Vidalia onions sautéed in Dom Perignon and sauerkraut cooked with Cristal.
Number 3. 'Hot Dogs' were Mickey Mouse's first words. He uttered them in 1929 during the cartoon 'The Karnival Kid'.
Number 2. FDR served hot dogs to the King and Queen of England. Their visit marked the first time a reigning monarch had set foot in the U.S.
Number 1. Nathan's Famous Hot Dogs on Coney Island has reportedly been open since 1916. As in every single day since. Well, except for when Hurricane Sandy left no option but to close and tend to extensive repairs. It just wouldn't be fair, though, to hold that against their truly impressive run.
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