National Pizza Day

The story

Pizza's roots can be traced back to ancient civilizations, where flatbreads with toppings were enjoyed by the Egyptians, Romans, and Greeks. However, the modern birthplace of pizza is southwestern Italy's Campania region, home to the city of Naples. In the 18th and 19th centuries, Naples was a thriving waterfront city with a large population of working poor known as lazzaroni. They needed quick and inexpensive food, and pizza—flatbreads topped with tomatoes, cheese, oil, anchovies, and garlic—fit the bill. In 1889, King Umberto I and Queen Margherita of Italy visited Naples and fell in love with a particular pizza called pizza mozzarella, topped with soft white cheese, red tomatoes, and green basil. This pizza, resembling the colors of the Italian flag, was later named pizza Margherita in their honor. Pizza's journey to the United States began when Neapolitan immigrants arrived, seeking factory jobs. They unintentionally introduced Americans to the flavors of pizza, leading to its rapid popularity. One of the first documented pizzerias in the United States was G. Lombardi's in Manhattan, licensed to sell pizza in 1905. From there, pizza's popularity grew, evolving into diverse regional styles.