The Kellogg brothers, John and Will , in Battle Creek, MI, were trying to boil a pot of grain and they accidentally left the pot on the stove for several days. The mixture turned moldy, but the product that emerged was dry and thick and turned flaky, rather than the desired doughy. Being frugal, they toasted the flakes and served them. Through experimentation they eliminated the mold part and created corn flakes. They continued to experiment with other grains Incidentally, they thought that this type of bland food was good to reduce the sex drive.
They were also the first to add a goodies in the cereal box to boost sales, a Funny Jungleland Moving Picture Booklet was first in the early 1900s.
Battle Creek is still home to Kellogg and hosts a major Balloon Festival every year. I'll bet you didn't know the name of the corn flake mascot, since 1959, is Cornelius (Corny) Rooster.
