Today, we raise our golden, cream-filled snack cakes in celebration—because on April 6, 1930, a legend was born in Schiller Park, Illinois. That’s right! The Twinkie, America’s most iconic snack, turns 95 years old today!
Invented by James “Jimmy” Dewar for the Continental Baking Company, the original Twinkie was a clever solution to a seasonal equipment dilemma. With machines for shortcake sitting idle when strawberries were out of season, Dewar dreamed up a golden sponge cake with a creamy filling—and the rest is delicious dessert cake history.
Since then, Twinkies have gone from humble bakery shelves to pop culture stardom. They’ve survived wars, changing tastes, the Adkins diet craze, temporary extinction (we’re still recovering from the 2012 Hostess bankruptcy), and even jokes about lasting forever. Whether tucked into school lunches, craved during late-night snack runs, or immortalized in movies, Twinkies are more than just a treat—they’re an American cultural icon.
So here’s to you, Twinkie:
• For being the sweet symbol of American ingenuity;
• For sticking around through decades of diets, debates, and dessert trends;
• And for making 95 look this damn good!
Blow out those candles, Twinkie—all 95 of them —you’ve earned it!