August 25, 2022 - National Park Service Founders Day | National Banana Split Day

Welcome to August 25th, 2022 on the National Day Calendar. Today we celebrate the great outdoors and one clever apprentice. After serving in the Union Army during the Civil War, Ferdinand Hayden did geographical surveys of the Grand Canyon and what would become the Western United States. One particular region of Northwestern Wyoming caught his attention and he petitioned the government to explore and document this area. Along with photographer William Henry Jackson and painter Thomas Moran, he put together a report that was presented to Congress. It made such an impression that on March 1, 1872, President Grant established Yellowstone as the first National Park. Nearly 150 years later, Yellowstone is still one of the most visited. On National Park Service Founders Day, celebrate the folks who saw the forest for the trees and helped preserve our great outdoors. In 1904 David Evans Strickler showed more than a little enthusiasm for his job. The 23 year old apprentice enjoyed making up new kinds of sundaes, but little did he know that he would soon make history. At Tassels Pharmacy in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, David stumbled upon the winning combination of three scoops of ice cream, whipped cream, nuts and a cherry all topping off a split banana. They charged double the price for this new concoction, but the banana split was worth all 10 cents. And eventually David bought the place, renaming it Strickler’s Pharmacy. To this day the Great American Banana Split Festival happens in downtown Latrobe. On National Banana Split Day celebrate the sweet rewards for being top banana! I’m Anna Devere and I’m Marlo Anderson. Thanks for joining us as we Celebrate Every Day. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices