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History of Hot Dogs Timeline
(13th century - Present)The hot dog is a beloved American food with roots tracing back to European sausage-making traditions. German and Austrian immigrants brought frankfurters and wienerwurst to the United States in the 1800s, where the served-in-a-bun innovation transformed it into an iconic street food. From Coney Island vendors to baseball parks and Nathan's Famous hot dog eating contest, the hot dog has become a symbol of American cuisine and culture. More Less
Origins in Europe
Sausages served at coronation of Maximilian II
Sep 8, 1562
According to tradition, Frankfurter Würstchen were given to the people on the event of imperial coronations, starting with the coronation of Maximilian II, Holy Roman Emperor, as King.
Image source: Maximilian II, Holy Roman Emperor
Dog meat consumption common in parts of Germany
Jan 1, 1800
In Germany, the consumption of dog meat was common in Saxony, Silesia, Anhalt, and Bavaria during the 19th and 20th centuries, a practice that contributed to speculation about the origin of the term 'hot dog'.
Image source: Dog meat
Johann Georg Lahner brings Frankfurter Würstchen to Vienna
Jan 1, 1800
Johann Georg Lahner, an 18th/19th century butcher from the Franconian city of Coburg, is said to have brought the Frankfurter Würstchen to Vienna, where he added beef to the mixture and simply called it Frankfurter, creating the wiener-style sausage.
Image source: Hot dog
American Innovations
Charles Feltman builds sausage cart at Coney Island
Jan 1, 1867
In 1867 Charles Feltman had a cart made with a stove on which to boil sausages, and a compartment to keep buns fresh, pioneering the sale of hot dogs with buns at Coney Island.
Image source: Charles Feltman
Feltman leases land for permanent Coney Island restaurant
Jan 1, 1871
In 1871 Charles Feltman leased land to build a permanent restaurant, and the business grew rapidly, selling far more than just the 'Coney Island Red Hots' as they were known.
Feuchtwanger's wife proposes use of a bun in St. Louis
Jan 1, 1880
According to one account, Feuchtwanger's wife proposed the use of a bun in 1880: Feuchtwanger sold hot dogs on the streets of St. Louis, helping popularize the sausage-in-a-bun format.
Sausages served in rolls at World's Columbian Exposition (Alleged)
May 1, 1893 - Oct 30, 1893
In one version of the story, Antoine Feuchtwanger, or Anton Ludwig Feuchtwanger, served sausages in rolls at the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago, allegedly because the white gloves provided to customers to protect their hands were being kept as souvenirs.
Image source: World's Columbian Exposition
Hot dogs become ubiquitous throughout the United States
Jan 1, 1900
Although particularly connected with New York City and its cuisine, the hot dog eventually became ubiquitous throughout the US during the 20th century, becoming a staple of ballparks, street carts, and backyard cookouts nationwide.
Harry Stevens reportedly uses French rolls at Polo Grounds (Legend)
Jan 1, 1901
The claim is that, while working at the New York Polo Grounds in 1901, Harry Stevens came upon the idea of using small French rolls to hold the sausages when the waxed paper they were using ran out.
Image source: Polo Grounds
Sausages served in rolls at Louisiana Purchase Exposition (Alleged)
Apr 30, 1904 - Dec 1, 1904
In another version of the story, Antoine Feuchtwanger served sausages in rolls at the 1904 Louisiana Purchase Exposition in St. Louis, again allegedly because customers kept the white gloves provided to protect their hands as souvenirs.
Image source: Louisiana Purchase Exposition
Key Facts
- Sausage-like foods date back to ancient times, but the 'frankfurter' is named after Frankfurt, Germany, where a similar sausage was reportedly produced as early as the 13th century.
- German immigrants popularized 'dachshund sausages' in America during the mid-1800s, selling them from street carts in New York City.
- The practice of serving sausages in a bun became widespread in the United States around the 1870s-1900s, often credited to vendors like Charles Feltman on Coney Island.
- Nathan's Famous opened its first hot dog stand on Coney Island in 1916, launching a brand—and an annual Fourth of July hot dog eating contest—that remains iconic today.
- The term 'hot dog' was popularized in the early 1900s, partly through cartoonist Tad Dorgan's famous (though possibly apocryphal) dachshund-sausage cartoon at a New York Giants baseball game.
Source
This History of Hot Dogs timeline was generated with the help of AI, using information found on the internet.
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