National Chewing Gum Day

Today, September 30th is a day for all those that enjoy the act of chewing gum. Chewing gum started many many years ago in several locations. In the 19th century America developed chewing gum in the form that we all know. Before this time civilizations would chew substances such as plants and resigns that could easily be found where they lived. The Aztecs and Mayans civilizations chewed a substance known as chicle. The Greeks enjoyed chewing resin from mastic trees. In America the natives chewed resign from the sap of spruce trees. When the new settlers arrived in America they enjoyed resin from the spruce trees as well. Then in 1848 John B. Curtis made the first commercial chewing gum. It was called Maine Pure Spruce Gum.


John Colgan created the first flavored chewing gum in Louisville Kentucky in 1860. The gum was created using powdered sugar with tolu from balsam trees. The invention was named Taffy Tolu Another invention in 1871 from Thomas Adams from Staten Island New York helped popularize chicle and set up chicle company known as Adams New York No. 1 chewing gum. Later his company also sold Black Jack. Black jack was a licorice flavored gum

Another chewing gum maker sold his product under the named Wrigley. William Wrigley was the largest maker of chewing gum and sold both spearmint and juicy fruit in the 1890s. In the early 1900s  chewing gum could be purchased in gumball machines in New York City.

Bubble gum came a bit later in 1906. It was not the bubble gum that we enjoy today but it was the beginning and needed work. World War II helped promote bubble gum. GI's enjoyed chewing it but could also trade it with locals . Topps Chewing gum company sold Bazooka gum.


It has been shown that chewing gum while taking a test can help with cognitive abilities. Chewing gum may help hold back halitosis or bad breath. Chewing gum is filled with sugar but there are also low sugar gum like Dentyne. There is even a gum called xylitol that helps fight cavities and plaque.

I have loved chewing gum as long as I can remember. I thought it super fun when I was a teen and could blow bubbles with my bubble gum. Do you chew gum?? 

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