Colonel Sanders

Colonel Sanders, the founder of Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC), was born on September 9th, 1890.

Harland David Sanders' father passed away in 1895, leaving young Harland to take care of his siblings and cook for them. This event had a profound impact on Sanders' early life.

Wilbur David Sanders, the father of Colonel Sanders, passed away in February 1896.

At the age of 10, Harland David Sanders began working as a farmhand, starting his journey towards a successful career in the food industry. This early experience shaped his work ethic and skills.

In 1906, Sanders joined the U.S. Army at the age of 16 by falsifying his date of birth. He served as a wagoner in Cuba and received the Cuban Pacification Medal.

On June 15, 1909, Sanders married Josephine King in Jasper, Alabama. They had three children together and began their family life.

In 1930, Colonel Sanders started cooking and offering food to his gas station customers in Corbin, Kentucky. He served fried chicken and other dishes he learned as a child, which became popular among locals and visitors.

In April 6, 1931, Colonel Sanders started his own service station, a significant step towards his future success with KFC.

On October 7, 1935, Colonel Sanders was awarded the title of Kentucky Colonel.

In 1936, Colonel Sanders was honored with the title of Kentucky Colonel by the governor of Kentucky for his culinary contributions and the success of his restaurant business.

The Colonel's cafe was constructed on October 30, 1937.

On October 3, 1939, Colonel Sanders' cafe burned down. Following the tragic event, he resiliently constructed a motel and restaurant that gained immense popularity.

By July 1940, Colonel Sanders, at the age of 50, had perfected his 'Secret Recipe' for frying chicken in a pressure fryer, revolutionizing the cooking process.

On August 23, 1950, Colonel Sanders was recommissioned by Governor Lawrence Wetherby. This event marked an important recognition of Sanders' contributions.

In 1950, Colonel Sanders discovered the iconic trademark and style for KFC, solidifying his brand image.

In 1952, Colonel Harland Sanders initiated the franchising of Kentucky Fried Chicken, marking a pivotal moment in the expansion of his fried chicken business. This move laid the foundation for KFC's widespread success and global presence.

Colonel Sanders famously quoted, 'Feed the poor and get rich or feed the rich and get poor.'

After selling his North Corbin restaurant due to reduced customer traffic, Sanders and Claudia opened a new restaurant and company headquarters in Shelbyville in 1959.

Colonel Sanders sold Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) in 1964.

In 1960, Colonel Sanders relocated the headquarters of his expanding company to Shelbyville, Kentucky.

In 1962, Sanders obtained a patent protecting his method of pressure frying chicken, which was a significant development for his KFC franchise.

Sanders trademarked the phrase 'It's Finger Lickin' Good' in 1963, which became a famous slogan associated with KFC.

In 1964, Harland sold his KFC business for $2 million.

In 1965, Colonel Sanders sold the Kentucky Fried Chicken corporation for $2 million to a partnership of Kentucky businessmen led by John Y. Brown, Jr. The deal excluded the Canadian operations.

In 1966, Colonel Sanders moved to Canada to continue his business operations and collect fees.

In September 1970, Sanders and his wife were baptized in the Jordan River, reflecting a personal spiritual milestone in his life.

In 1973, Colonel Sanders sued Heublein Inc., the parent company of Kentucky Fried Chicken, over the alleged misuse of his image in promoting products he had not helped develop.

In 1975, Colonel Sanders publicly described Heublein Inc.'s gravy as 'sludge' with a 'wall-paper taste', leading to an unsuccessful libel lawsuit against him by the company.

Colonel Sanders was diagnosed with acute leukemia in June 1980 and passed away at the age of 90 due to pneumonia. He remained active until a month before his death, and his body was laid in state at the Kentucky State Capitol before being buried in Cave Hill Cemetery in Louisville.

In 1982, an episode of Little House on the Prairie titled 'Wave of the Future' included a character resembling Colonel Sanders from KFC, offering Mrs. Oleson a fried chicken franchise. Due to legal concerns, the character was credited as 'Bearded Man'.

Claudia Sanders, the wife of Colonel Sanders, passed away at the age of 94 on December 31, 1996.

One of Colonel Sanders's white suits with its black clip-on bow-tie was sold at auction for $21,510. The suit had historical significance as it was given to a Cincinnati resident by Sanders himself.

In May 2015, KFC reintroduced the Colonel Sanders character in new television advertisements, portrayed by comedian Darrell Hammond. This move was met with mixed reactions, with some finding it disrespectful to the actual man's legacy.

In July 2016, George Hamilton took on the role of Colonel Sanders in KFC advertisements, using his famous tan to promote KFC's 'extra crispy' chicken.

In August 2015, KFC launched a campaign with comedian Norm Macdonald portraying Colonel Sanders. The campaign made reference to the previous portrayal by Darrell Hammond, with Macdonald's Colonel calling his predecessor an impostor.

In September 2016, comedian Rob Riggle played Colonel Sanders in an ad introducing a football team named 'The Kentucky Buckets'.

In January 2017, actor Billy Zane took on the role of the 'Solid Gold Colonel' to promote KFC's 'Georgia Gold Honey Mustard BBQ' Chicken offerings.

Actor Rob Lowe was announced as the new Colonel Sanders in April 2017, revealing that he had actually met Harland Sanders as a child.

Singer Reba McEntire was named as the newest Colonel Sanders in January 2018.

In 2019, KFC commissioned and released a free video game called I Love You, Colonel Sanders! The game is a parody dating sim where players aim to develop a romantic relationship with a fictionalized version of Colonel Sanders.

In December 2020, Mario Lopez portrayed a fictionalized version of Colonel Sanders in the short film A Recipe for Seduction.