The Fast History Of

After leaving a successful stint at Kentucky Fried Chicken (where he literally invented the bucket of chicken,) Dave Thomas opens a hamburger chain. His innovations, including a simplified menu, the perfect drive-thru system, and brilliant reasoning behind the square hamburger, turn Wendy's into a success.

Amusement parks are a global phenomenon! Yet their meteoric rise is full of surprises. Like the fact that the first amusement park has its roots all the way back in 1133. And the fact that Catherine the Great is considered the forerunner of modern roller coasters with her "Russian Mountain" wooden slides in the 1800s! The Chicago World's Fair of 1893 inspires the birth of Coney Island, while a visit to a traditional merry-go-round inspires Walt Disney to make Disneyland. Once tubular steel is used instead of wood in the 1950s, roller coaster designers take rides to new extremes in the 70s, 80s, 90s and 2000s. After a decline in the early 2000s, the future of amusement parks is looking up, as visitors can now experience worlds like "The Wizarding World Of Harry Potter" where they can become characters in a larger story.

Since the dawn of time, people have looked into the skies and seen... strange objects that don't belong there.

A romp through history about the secret lives of the world's wealthiest and all the most shocking ways they spend their fortunes, from how much gold King Tut was buried with, to how Elon Musk, Richard Brandon, and Jeff Bezos ended up in a space race.

When Eberhard Anheuser hired his son in law, Adolphus Busch, he had no idea they were going to create the most recognizable beer of all time. Budweiser.

Jack Daniel's, the most popular whiskey in the world, has been making their unique blend since 1866. But the story of how a couple of backwoods bootleggers invented Tennessee whiskey is full of unexpected turns.

Tracing its roots back to the 18th century Sicilian mafia, the American mob muscled its way to a $90 billion dollar a year criminal enterprise and is the subject of some of the most popular books, movies and tv shows in history. But the real story behind the mob's rise (and eventual fall) is even stranger than fiction.

Over the last half century, fast food has become a nearly $300 billion dollar staple for Americans on the go. And it was a series of entrepreneurs who created some of the biggest innovations not just in fast food, but in the entire history of food.

Since its founding in 1965, the brainchild of a nuclear physicist and a would-be-med student, Subway, has grown from a small storefront in Bridgeport, Connecticut, to the biggest chain restaurant on the planet.

What costs around a nickel per stick and can help give you a million-dollar smile? Founded in 1891, Wrigley's is the world's most popular gum.

When Bill Rosenberg founded Dunkin Donuts in 1950, he set out to serve the freshest and most delicious donuts and coffee the world had ever seen. In the process he revolutionized the game, bringing 52 flavors to a treat that had only ever had four.

It's one of the most recognizable brands on the planet! Yet Heinz's meteoric rise is full of surprises.

It is the world's number one cookie brand... by far. But the cookie that built this empire was... already being sold by Nabisco's competitors. Competitors who were once co-founders of Nabisco! Still, shrewd marketing (and recipe tweaks) made the Oreo the world's favorite cookie. Following it up with Chips Ahoy and SnackWell's, Nabisco's story is packed with boardroom intrigue, personal vengeance, and a few colossal failures. Twist it, lick it, and dunk it--it's a fast history of Nabisco.