For over 130 years, we have been inspired by the power and wholesome goodness of the amazing oat.

1850 - Ferdinand Schumacher founds German Mills American Cereal Company in Akron, OH. During the same period, John Stuart established the North Star Mills Company in Canada.

1877 - Quaker Oats registered as the first trademark for a breakfast cereal. The trademark was registered with the U.S. Patent Office as a figure of a man in Quaker garb. Both former owners, Henry Seymour and William Heston, claimed to have selected the Quaker name as a symbol of good quality and honest value.

1881 - enry Parsons Crowell buys the bankrupt Quaker Mill in Ravenna, OH, and its most important asset – the brand name Quaker.

1882 - Crowell launches the first national magazine advertising program for a breakfast cereal.

1890 - The American Cereal Company runs a special all-Quaker Oats train from Cedar Rapids, IA to Portland, OR and introduces the first ever trial-size samples. 1/2 oz. sample boxes of Quaker Oats are delivered to every mailbox in Portland, OR.

1891 - Two more firsts – Quaker Oats introduced the idea of packaged premiums by inserting chinaware items into boxes of oats, plus we became the first brand to feature a recipe on its box (the recipe was for Oatmeal Bread).

1908 - Oat Cakes become the first oatmeal cookie to appear on the Quaker Oats package.

1915 - The familiar round Quaker Oats package is introduced.

1922 - Quaker introduces Quaker Quick Oats, one of the first convenience products.

1961 - Life® Cereal is introduced in its original flavor.

1966 - Quaker Instant Oatmeal is introduced.

1970 - The first flavored instant oatmeal is introduced – Maple & Brown Sugar is distributed nationally and Date & Brown Sugar is distributed regionally.

1981 - Quaker introduces the world to chewy granola bars with Quaker Chewy®.

1987 - Actor Wilford Brimley stars in the advertising campaign, The Right Thing To Do, which runs for over 5 years.

1995 - The Quaker Oats Company submits a heart health petition to the FDA for consideration.

1996 - The FDA issues a proposal for the first health claim for a specific food – oatmeal for heart health.

1977 - The first food-specific health claim for oatmeal is approved by the FDA. The new heart health claim appears on Quaker Oatmeal cereals which qualify. The claim reads: Soluble fiber from oatmeal as part of a low saturated fat, low cholesterol diet, may reduce the risk of heart disease. This was also the first year of the Smart Heart Challenge.

2007 - Quaker celebrates our 130-year anniversary.

2008 - Quaker introduces Simple Harvest, a new multigrain, natural hot cereal.