Today in 1989 was a big day in the small community of El Reno, along historic Route 66 in Oklahoma.
It was the first ever El Reno Burger Day.
However, it was definitely not the first time anyone had eaten a burger in town.
El Reno proudly describes itself as the home of the fried onion burger.
This burger has also been called the Depression Burger, because it was cooked up during the Great Depression.
Back in the late 1920s, after the stock market crash, money was tight and hamburger was pricey.
So Ross Davis, the owner of El Reno’s Hamburger Inn, got creative.
He took piles of sliced onions, which were cheap, and smashed them into the burger patties before frying them up.
That made the burgers look bigger without a lot of extra expense.
The fried onion burger was a hit, and it stayed that way even after the Hamburger Inn closed down.
There are multiple burger joints in town today: some locals even joke that they go to one for breakfast, another for lunch and a third one for dinner, all in the same day.
This year’s El Reno Burger Day included live music, an escape room, the world’s largest fried onion burger and a 5K “bun run.”
It’s always held on the first Saturday in May, so if you want to get in on the burgers next year, mark your calendar now.
Today in 1849, the birthday of composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky.
He was able to work full time on his music thanks to an annual stipend from a wealthy supporter, Nadezhda Von Meck.
But she gave that gift on the condition that they should never meet.
They did bump into each other once by accident, but they didn’t speak.
El Reno’s Fried Onion Burger Packed With Flavor And Long History (News9.com)
Tchaikovsky: Conflicted, Neurotic, Brilliant (California Symphony)
