August 1, 1893 – Henry Perky obtains a patent for Shredded Wheat, a breakfast food he describes as “little whole wheat mattresses.” When offered to buy the patent Dr. John Henry Kellogg of Corn Flakes fame declined, saying that Perky’s invention tasted “like eating a whisk broom.” Ouch!
Henry Perky’s creation of Shredded Wheat was born out of personal desperation to find a cure for his severe chronic dyspepsia (painful indigestion). Believing that cooked whole wheat was the ultimate health food, he designed a complex machine with grooved rollers to shred the grain into delicate threads, making it exceptionally easy to digest. Dr. John Harvey Kellogg’s biting “whisk broom” rejection is one of the greatest ironies in business history; after realizing how popular the product had become, Kellogg later tried to buy the patent back, but Perky flatly refused his low-ball offer. The battle over the iconic pillow shape lasted for decades, culminating in a landmark 1938 U.S. Supreme Court case (Kellogg Co. v. National Biscuit Co.) that established the shape as functional and non-trademarkable.
