Some People Don’t Know These 11 Things Came From Missouri

The ice cream cone was popularized at the 1904 World’s Fair in St. Louis, forever altering the way Americans enjoy their ice cream - on the move.

A blend of cheddar, swiss and provolone, provel cheese is perfect on pizza because of the way it melts. Costa Grocery in St. Louis invented the cheese for nearby pizza restaurants.

7up was originally called Bib-Label Lithiated Lemon-Lime soda, but no one wanted to try to remember that name, so it was shortened to 7up. Charles Leiper Grigg created it in St. Louis in 1929.

While most of us don’t get many opportunities to enjoy Lear jets, they’re still pretty cool. William Lear, born in Hannibal, Missouri, created the Lear Jet. Older Missourians might remember another of his inventions - the 8 track.

A St. Louis baker made a mixing mistake in the 1930s that would create one of Missouri’s favorite treats. The baker added too much butter to his cake, which resulted in a gooey confection that tasted amazing. The rest is history.

The next time you use a smartphone, tablet or computer, say "Thank you!" to Missouri - microchip inventor Jack Kilby was born here.

A vendor at the World’s Fair got creative when he struggled to sell tea during the warm temperatures. He added ice and sold it cold, creating a delicious new way to drink tea.

Aunt Jemima pancake flour was invented in 1889 in St. Joseph Missouri. It included self-rising flour to make the pancakes light and fluffy, and changed the way moms made breakfast forever!

George C. Hale came up with a design for some special suspenders for firemen in 1885. The suspenders were woven with a special cord that was treated with a fire-proof chemical. If a firefighter found himself trapped on an upper level of a burning building, he could pull the cord out, lower it to the ground below and have someone attach a rope to it, so he could lower himself safely.

Missourian Bob Chandler created the first monster truck in the mid-1970s. In 1981, Chandler set up two cars in a field, crushed them with his "Big Foot" truck and videotaped the event as a promotion tool for his truck shop. Two years later, he had a sponsorship from Ford Motors, and the rest is history.

Inventor James Fergason was born in Wakenda, Missouri in 1934. He was awarded over 100 patents during his lifetime. The most popular was his LCD technology (like that watch you got for your birthday in middle school).