The Fast History Of... Season 1, Episode 12: The Super Rich

Snack Saviors

It is the world's number one cookie brand... by far. But the cookie that built this empire was... already being sold by Nabisco's competitors.

Ketchup Kings

It's one of the most recognizable brands on the planet! Yet Heinz's meteoric rise is full of surprises. Find out as we pour it on thick in the fast history of Heinz!

The Donut Revolution

When Bill Rosenberg founded Dunkin Donuts in 1950, he set out to serve the freshest and most delicious donuts and coffee the world had ever seen. In the process he revolutionized the game, bringing 52 flavors to a treat that had only ever had four.

Gum Masters

What costs around a nickel per stick and can help give you a million-dollar smile? Founded in 1891, Wrigley's is the world's most popular gum. They even have their name on the 2nd oldest major league baseball stadium!

Secrets of the Sub

Since its founding in 1965, the brainchild of a nuclear physicist and a would-be-med student, Subway, has grown from a small storefront in Bridgeport, Connecticut, to the biggest chain restaurant on the planet.

Fast Food Innovations

Over the last half century, fast food has become a nearly $300 billion dollar staple for Americans on the go. And it was a series of entrepreneurs who created some of the biggest innovations not just in fast food, but in the entire history of food.

The Mob

Tracing its roots back to the 18th century Sicilian mafia, the American mob muscled its way to a $90 billion dollar a year criminal enterprise and is the subject of some of the most popular books, movies and tv shows in history. But the real story behind the mob's rise (and eventual fall) is even stranger than fiction. They helped create one of New York's most iconic gay bars. Much of the mob's success wouldn't be possible without the Hoover Dam? The mob even once collaborated with the C.I.A.! From Capone to Corleone, this is the fast history of the American mob.

19 min

The Tennessee Whiskey

Jack Daniel's, the most popular whiskey in the world, has been making their unique blend since 1866. But the story of how a couple of backwoods bootleggers invented Tennessee whiskey is full of unexpected turns. Like the secrets behind their unique recipe, how they barely survived prohibition, the endorsement that created a national shortage and how Hollywood ran away with the brand's image. Get ready for the smooth, fast history of...Jack Daniel's.

Becoming King

Eberhard Anheuser hires his son-in-law Adolphus Busch and they create Budweiser beer and brew a $30 billion empire; they're part of the reason beer goes hand in hand with baseball; in the 2000s they try to make liquor.

The Superstore

Since its founding in 1962, Walmart has grown from a humble discount store in rural Arkansas to the largest company in the world; with over 11,000 locations, they employ more people than the U.S. armed forces.

Swoosh Dreams

A look behind the brand's most iconic campaigns and how taking a crazy chance on a rookie turned Nike into the $33 billion empire it is today.

The Burger Underdogs

Dave Thomas opens a hamburger chain, and his innovations, including a simplified menu, the perfect drive-thru system, and the reasoning behind the square hamburger, turn Wendy's into a success, but the company falters when they're victim of a hoax.

UFOs

By the late 1940s, UFO sightings and reports of downed flying saucers are so rampant, the U.S. government forms a top-secret group to investigate; reports of an alleged alien abduction stoke nationwide fear.

Amusement Parks

The first amusement park has its roots all the way back in 1133; Catherine the Great is considered the forerunner of modern roller coasters; the Chicago World's Fair of 1893 inspires the birth of Coney Island; a merry-go-round inspires Walt Disney.