When did Nathan’s Hot Dog contest start?

When did Nathan’s Hot Dog contest start?

One of the biggest traditions outside of fireworks for the fourth of July had been the Nathan’s Hot Dog eating contest.

The contest happens every year on July 4th at “Nathan’s Famous Corporation’s original, and best-known restaurant at the corner of Surf and Stillwell Avenues in Coney Island, a neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York City,” according to the history of the event.

The competition reached pop culture status thanks, in part, to some of the men who dominated the contest such as Takeru Kobayashi and Joey Chestnut. Last year, Chestnut ate 76 hot dogs to be crowned champion and now holds the world record. The female champion, Michelle Lesco ate 30.75 hot dogs.

When was the first Nathan Hot Dog contest?

The first contest happened on July 4, 1916, but it wasn’t sanctioned as a Major League Eating (MLE) event until 1997.

According to the contests Wikipedia, the contests are derived from the following:

• The defending champion
• winners of a regional qualifying contest for that season
• Individuals qualifying as one of two wildcards (highest two average qualifier scores without winning a single qualifier)
• Those invited by special invitation of the MLE.

There are about 20 contestants a year. Check out the full list of winners from year to year right here.