Sail

I continue visiting the Albuquerque Nuclear Museum and find the sail (fin) of the nuclear submarine the U.S.S. James Polk https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_James_K._Polk.

Today is National Free Slurpee Day!
Before I explain the history of this day, I need to tell you about the history of the Slurpee. This was created by Omar Knedlik. It was first known as ICEE. Like a lot of the world’s best inventions, it was discovered by mistake! Knedlik stumbled across the idea when one of his soda fountains broke, forcing him to keep his sodas cool by placing them in the freezer. This resulted in a soda slush, and it was a huge hit with customers. This led to Knedlik creating a machine that had the ability to freeze carbonated drinks. 

Brand 7-Eleven caught onto the success of the ICEE drink. So, they made a licensing deal in 1965 with Knedlik to sell the item under a different name. They created the Slurpee, which would only be sold in stores. The name was made by an advertising executive and it refers to the sound that people usually make when drinking it! It really did not take long for this drink to take off. There were machines in stores everywhere by the following year. Eye-catching, and often risque, names were created for new flavors. This included the likes of Adults Only, Gully Washer, Sticky Icky, Moonshine, and Pink Fink. 

So, how did National Free Slurpee Day come about? Well, on the 11th of July, 2002, 7-Eleven enjoyed its 75th birthday as a brand. To mark the occasion, customers were given a free Slurpee. This then became the first official National Free Slurpee Day. As the name indicates, if you go to a participating 7-Eleven between certain hours, you will get a free 12-ounce Slurpee, as long as supplies last. Of course, if you don’t live anywhere near a participating store, don’t worry, I have plenty of other suggestions on how to celebrate National Free Slurpee Day.