Harland David Sanders

Harland David Sanders is better known to most as Colonel Sanders, the founder of Kentucky Fried Chicken.

Harland Sanders was born in a small shack in September of 1890. Six years later his father died, leaving Harland to watch over his siblings while his mother entered the workforce. His duties at home included cooking, and within a year, he had begun to develop quite an aptitude as a cook. Following his mother’s remarriage, he left home and subsequently dropped out of school in his early teens.

Throughout his life, he worked a wide variety of odd jobs. He was a farmer, insurance salesman, mule tender, and among other things, a political candidate. While working at one of his jobs as a service-station operator, he began cooking chicken. He sold it as part of a boxed meal for hungry travelers who stopped in for gas.

His food became so popular that he was listed in the popular restaurant guide Adventures to Good Eating. In 1935, the governor made him a Kentucky Colonel for his contributions to regional cooking. Less than five years later, he purchased a motel and restaurant. Within a year, he had perfected his “secret recipe” for pressure-cooked chicken, but when World War II broke out, he lost most of his business and was forced to close.

After the war, he franchised his Kentucky Fried Chicken for the first time. Sanders spent the next several years developing his business. After one of his restaurants failed due to low traffic flow, Sanders began franchising in earnest.

He became the first fast-food owner to expand internationally. At one point, there were 600 restaurants. He eventually sold the chain of restaurants and traveled thousands of miles each year as a goodwill ambassador for the franchise.

Success came late in life for Colonel Sanders, and he gave heavily back to charities. Even today, over thirty years after his death, his trusts continue to provide money for charities and scholarships.