Episode Details
Back to Episodes
I Invented The Donut 🍩
Description
Sea Captain Hanson Gregory claimed to have first cut a hole in a donut on 22nd June, 1847, sparking an American tradition: the nation now consumes ten billion donuts per year.
But Americans munched on Dutch “oily cakes” for decades prior to that, and the corporate intervention of Dunkin’ Donuts - founded in Gregory’s hometown - might help explain why Gregory’s origin story has stuck…
Regardless, there were two inarguable milestones in America’s adoption of this sugary treat: volunteer women handing them out to homesick soldiers in France during World War One; and New Yorker Adolph Levitt’s invention of the first automatic donut machine in the 1920s.
In this episode, Arion, Olly and Rebecca explain why donuts were being considered the “Food of the Future” at the World’s Fair; reveal why the trope of police officers frequenting donut shops has its basis in truth; and consider why a journalist’s trip to an old people’s home in 1916 has skewered our understanding of DONUT TRUTH 🍩!
Further Reading:
• ‘Rhodri Marsden's Interesting Objects: The doughnut hole’ (The Independent, 2015): https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/food-and-drink/features/rhodri-marsden-s-interesting-objects-the-doughnut-hole-10326542.html
• ‘The Maine Ship Captain Who Invented the Modern Donut’ (New England Historical Society): https://newenglandhistoricalsociety.com/maine-ship-captain-invented-modern-donut/
• ‘How does a Donut Machine work? (Krispy Kreme)’ (Jared Owen, 2024): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rPR43MiRtmw
Love the show? Support us!
Join 🌴CLUB RETROSPECTORS🌴to DITCH THE ADS and get an additional full-length episode each SUNDAY…
… Plus, get weekly bonus bits, and unlock over 100 bits of extra content.
Join now with a free trial on Apple Podcasts or Patreon and support our show ❤️
The Retrospectors are Olly Mann, Rebecca Messina & Arion McNicoll, with Matt Hill.
Theme Music: Pass The Peas. Announcer: Bob Ravelli. Graphic Design: Terry Saunders. Edit Producer: Ollie Peart.
Copyright: Rethink Audio / Olly Mann 2026.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices