Timeline of Jello's Origins and Evolution

In the small town of LeRoy, New York, in 1897, a man named Pearle Bixby Wait invented a gelatin dessert that would soon capture the hearts of Americans. However, it was not he who trademarked the dessert; that honor went to his neighbor, Orator F. Woodward, who later sold the rights to the Genesee Pure Food Company.

The Genesee Pure Food Company, known for their popular healthy drink, Grain-O, bought Jell-O due to its name being similar to their own. In the following years, they improved Jell-O's popularity with new technologies like refrigeration, powdered gelatin, and machine packaging.

By the 1920s, Jell-O had become a staple in most American households. In the 1930s and 1950s, a new trend for congealed salad emerged, and Jell-O introduced new flavors like lime, celery, Italian, mixed vegetable, and tomato to cater to this trend. At the same time, a new line of Jell-O products for instant puddings was introduced, featuring flavors like chocolate, vanilla, pistachio, and butterscotch.

In 1902, the Genesee Pure Food Company marketed Jell-O as "America's Most Famous Dessert" in Ladies' Home Journal. The slogan "There's Always Room for Jell-O" was introduced in 1964.

The 1960s and 1970s saw a surge in new Jell-O products. Bill Cosby became Jell-O's spokesman during this time, and new products like Jell-O Pudding Treats, Jell-O Whip n' Chill, new Sugar Free Jell-O, Sparkling Jell-O, and Jell-O Jigglers were added to their product lineup. In 1966, Jell-O released their "No-Bake" dessert line, which included a 15-minute cheesecake.

In the 1960s and 1980s, Jell-O tested new flavors such as apple, black cherry, grape, mixed fruit, and more. Over 420 million boxes of Jell-O gelatin and over 1 billion Jell-O cups are sold in the United States per year.

Jell-O's popularity continued to grow, and in 1990, it was declared Utah's favorite snack food. In 1992, Jell-O Week was declared (February 12-18) in Utah, and a souvenir green Jell-O pin was given at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City.

Today, the Jell-O museum can be found in its home town of LeRoy, New York, a testament to the enduring legacy of this iconic American dessert.