A lot of people know that today is Popcorn Day — however, not as many know that it’s also Tin Can Day. That’s a real shame, because tin cans have been an integral part of our lives since the early 1800’s. Some people think the tin can is perhaps one of the greatest inventions in history.
The term ‘tin can’ is a bit of a misnomer today, because a lot of what we call ‘tin’ cans are actually made of other materials. But it’s hard to argue that the humble tin can, in its own way, is historic. It revolutionized the storage of perishable foods, although early tin cans were sealed with lead, causing many cases of lead poisoning.
Peter Durand of England patented the tin can in 1810. Ezra Daggett and Thomas Kensett received the U.S. tin can patent on January 19, 1825. The date chosen for Tin Can Day is in recognition of that event.
As I mentioned, the tin can came into use in the early 1800’s, but it wasn’t until 1858, about 50 years later that the can opener was invented (by Ezra Warner.) Before that significant invention, cans were hacked, chopped, and chiseled open.
So the question is — why is there no Can Opener Day?
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