OK- we all like ice cream, right? I mean, who doesn't think a scoop of frozen, aerated butter fat, sugar, and flavoring on a hot summer day (or frankly any day) isn't just the bomb? But you know, just like my old algebra teacher used to say, “Every now and then it's nice to try something new that really makes you scream.” We didn't know what she meant by that, either. Anyway, that's kind of what David Strickler was thinking way back in 1904 when he was schlepping single-scooped ice cream sundaes to little Bobbys and Susies. It was all part of his job as an apprentice pharmacist in Pennsylvania (say that three times fast). Back then, going to a pharmacy was like walking into a candy store crossed with a science lab. Those main street apothecaries mixed up all kinds of concoctions to cure everything from the common cold to cognitive coagulation (brain freeze). And every pharmacy had a soda fountain, which also meant brain-freezing ice cream! So being a budding pharmacist meant ol’ Davey was a thinker. A problem solver. A young man with potential. There had to be a way he could attract more customers to a soda fountain, especially those big-spending students from the local college. That's when it hit him! If one scoop of ice cream is good, then three must be better! In fact, why not go really bananas and add, well- a banana- split right down the middle! But wait. Our mad scientist confectioner didn't stop there. He threw almost everything in his arsenal on top. Monster mounds of marshmallow. Heaps of whipped cream. Piles of pineapple, nuts, syrups, and of course- a cherry on top. Boom! The Banana Split was born. The locals went ape for it. The college students were like, “Whaaaaat?” And soon everyone was screaming for that Dave-licious ice cream concoction.

Illuminating Moments in American History
From the accidental invention of the microwave to the love story of rubber gloves, these 68 shorts chronicle the history of unexpected American innovation.

Produced, written, and directed by Nathan Marsh. Art and Animation by Joel West and Isaac Windham. Sound by Scott Sprague. Narration by Carol Munse.