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600 BCE
Flatbread with cheese
Soldiers from the Persian Empire baked flatbread with cheese and dates on their shields. It was like a prototype of pizza. -
100 BCE
Flatbread with MORE than cheese
Ancient Romans made "panis focacius". It was a flatbread with herbs, cheese, and olive oil. This later turned into "focaccia" which was like a pizza but not quite there yet. -
997
PIZZA
The first use of the word "pizza" was recorded. It appeared in a Latin document from Gaeta, Italy -
Tomatoes arrive
From the Americas, tomatoes are introduced to Europe. Originally, they were thought to be poisonous but ended up becoming a signature ingredient to pizza. -
Word starts going around
Naples starts to become more known for their pizza marinara (tomato, garlic, oregano, and olive oil). THey were also known for their pizza margherita (tomato, mozzarella, and basil). -
The Queen
Historians debated about it being true or not but many believe that a man named Raffaele Esposito created pizza Margherita to honor Queen Margherita of Savoy. The idea was to use ingredients that match the Italian flag's colors. -
Brought to the US
Italian immigrants brought pizza to the United States. Ever since then, it's one of the most consumed ethnic foods in the US and especially in the Italian communities. -
Lombardi's Pizza
There's been some debates about Lombardi and his pizzeria but it's believed to be the first pizzeria in the US. It opened in New York City and it started American pizza culture. -
Deep-dish Pizza
Ike Sewell invents Chicago deep-dish Pizza at Pizzeria Uno. He basically just introduced a thick and hearty version. -
Frozen pizza
Frozen pizza was invented. It made pizza more accessible to the general public and it also allowed for families to bake them at home a lot easier. -
Pizza Chains
Large pizza chains like Domino's, Little Caesars, and Pizza hut start to grow and expand quickly across the nation and more. -
More variation
Gourmet and international pizza start to gain popularity. Examples could be BBQ chicken pizza or sushi pizza. People also started to get pulled in by cleaner ingredients with John Schnatter's (Papa John) pizza in 1984. -
Old is gold
The traditional pizza starts to make a comeback. Pizza with fresh ingredients and traditional techniques become popular again. -
UNESCO
UNESCO recognized Neapolitan pizza as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. -
TODAY
Pizza continues to evolve with plant-based, gluten-free, and unconventional toppings and still remains one of the world's most loved foods.