Colonel Harland David Sanders (1890–1980) was born on this day in Henryville, Indiana, and began cooking at just six years old after his father's death. With his mother working, young Harland stepped up to help feed his family.

He left school in the seventh grade and worked a string of jobs: railroad fireman, law student, ferry operator, and service station owner. But it was his passion for food that always stood out.

“I got to thinking about it... and it came to me that one thing I always could do was cook,” he said. That inspiration led to a secret recipe of 11 herbs and spices and a pressure-cooking method that turned fried chicken into a global phenomenon.

In 1936, in honor of his culinary contributions, he was named a Kentucky Colonel—the highest title of honor awarded by the state. At age 65, he began franchising Kentucky Fried Chicken, and by 1964 had over 600 restaurants. He sold the company but remained its beloved ambassador.

Sanders believed in doing meaningful work. “You have got to like what you are doing. You have got to be doing something worthwhile so you can like it—because it is worthwhile.”

Today, KFC serves around 12 million customers each day in over 30,000 restaurants across 150 countries. All because one man followed a simple truth: cook what you love and serve it with pride and care.