National Chewing Gum Day Date in the current year: September 30, 2024

Chewing gum is a soft confection with rubber-like texture designed to be chewed without being swallowed. The cultural tradition of chewing gum have developed independently in many parts of the world and has a centuries-long history. Early chewing gums were made from natural tree resins or birch tar; people chewed gum-like substances to keep their teeth clean, freshen their breath, and stave off hunger.

However, it wasn’t until the mid-19th century that chewing gum became commercially available. The first commercial chewing gum was developed by American businessman John B. Curtis. He came up with the idea after seeing loggers chewing resin made from spruce tree sap – a habit New Englanders had picked up from Native Americans. Curtis developed and began selling his “State of Maine Pure Spruce Gum” in 1848.

A couple of years later, chewing gum made from paraffin wax was developed and quickly became more popular than spruce gum. Flavored chewing gum was created in the 1860s by John Colgan, a pharmacist from Louisville, Kentucky.

The person credited with creating modern chewing gum and founding the chewing gum industry is American scientist and inventor Thomas Adams. He based his product on chicle, a natural gum collected from trees in the genus Manilkara which was chewed by the Aztecs and the Maya. Adams created licorice-flavored chewing gum in 1870 and patented a chewing gum making machine the next year. Bubble gum – a type of chewing gum that can be inflated into a bubble – was invented by American accountant Walter Diemer in 1928.

Chewing gum became popular outside of the United States during World War II thanks to American soldiers who traded gum from their rations with locals. By the 1960s, chewing gum manufacturers had switched from chicle to synthetic rubber, which is still used to produce chewing gum. The exact composition of chewing gum bases used by various manufacturers is a trade secret.

Like most things in the world, chewing gum has its pros and cons. Sugar-free chewing gum has oral health benefits: the act of chewing increases saliva production, which helps to prevent plaque and tooth decay. Some studies have also shown that chewing gum may cause short-term cognitive improvements. On the other hand, casual chewing gum discard is an environmental hazard.

How to celebrate National Chewing Gum Day? The easiest way would be to buy a pack of your favorite chewing gum and share it with your friends. Other ways to celebrate include sharing your childhood memories that involve bubble gum, having a gum bubble contest with your friends, enjoying a bubble gum-flavored treat such as ice cream or cotton candy, learning some life hacks for getting chewing gum out of your hair, clothes or furniture, and spreading the word about the holiday on social media with the hashtag #NationalChewingGumDay.