Nathan’s Hot Dog Contest: A Made-Up Legend
As the story is told: on July 4, 1916, four immigrants stood outside Nathan’s hot dog stand in Coney Island and challenged each other to a frankfurter showdown to prove who was the most patriotic. The first-ever hot dog eating contest was born.
Except... that never happened.
The Evidence
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The real story? That origin tale was cooked up in the 1970s by a PR guy named Morty Matz to help generate press attention. He admitted it himself decades later. But it stuck. Hard.
As reported by the New York Times (paywall, 2010) and in shorter form by the BBC (2023):
We said this was an annual tradition since 1916. In Coney Island pitchman style, we made it up. [said Matz]
Even today, an official Nathan’s hot dog eating contest page keeps the myth alive, referring to the "103rd annual contest" as if it were an unbroken tradition stretching back to 1916 despite a complete lack of evidence for any event prior to 1967. It references the "tale" but is also called "fun facts"... time for an editorial intervention, perhaps?
More and more modern recounts are popping up, like Sports Illustrated's recount that leans pretty har into the fabrication of the story as well, citing a 1972-start to the tradition.
Still Legendary, Just Not the Way You Think
The contest *feels* like it’s been around forever, which is pretty legendary in itself. But its "103rd annual" branding is baloney. There’s no shame in a great story, but when it's trying to redefine history, maybe there's, you know... a hint of shame. This one got repeated so many times, it jumped the line from marketing to “accepted history”.
In a weird way, it’s a reminder that even national traditions can be invented overnight, and a well-timed publicity stunt can last decades or longer if you keep repeating it with enough relish 😆
By the way, the first ever World Chronoodle Day is coming up on July 7th, 2025 (7/7, of course!).
