Who knew – a dentist, William Morrison, invented cotton candy in 1897. He had teamed with a confectioner, John C. Wharton, to create a machine to spin sugar into what they called “Fairy Floss.” They announced the treat at the St. Louis World’s Fair in 1904, sold 68,000 boxes, and cotton candy rose to confectionery stardom! The pair went onto start a business called the “Electric Candy Company” which made machines people could use to make cotton candy at home. Little about cotton candy has changed today, except, of course, the name. That was created by Louisiana confectioner, Josef Lascaux – cotton reminded him of the cotton grown in the fields at home.

Watch Candy Historian Susan Benjamin talk about the History of Cotton Candy

Image: Cotton Candy at the St. Louis World’s Fair