Corn Flakes weren't invented to be delicious—they were created as a cure for "immoral behavior." Dr. John Harvey Kellogg, a devout Seventh-day Adventist, believed that spicy and flavorful foods led to sinful thoughtsand behaviors.
In 1878, he developed his bland corn flakes as part of a strict diet designed to suppress what he considered unhealthy urges.
The accidental creation happened when Kellogg and his brother Will left cooked wheat sitting out too long. When they tried to roll it into sheets, it broke into flakes instead.
They toasted the flakes and found they stayed crispy in milk. What started as a health sanitarium experiment became a breakfast revolution when Will Kellogg added sugar (against his brother's wishes) and founded the Kellogg Company in 1906.
The irony? The "anti-pleasure" food became one of America's most beloved breakfast treats, spawning an entire industry built on making cereal as appealing and flavorful as possible.