Peter Cooper (1791-1883), inventor of Jell-O — Birth Anniversary

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Peter Cooper, born on February 12, 1791 in New York City, invented a gelatin dessert that later became Jell-O. The rest is history.

Peter was a self-taught engineer, inventor, philantropist — even a presidential candidate. He was a philanthropist. He founded the Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art in New York.

His father, a Methodist, was a hatmaker in Newburgh, New York. Early in his life, Peter worked as a coachmaker’s apprentice, cabinet maker, hatmaker, brewer, and grocer. He was always a tinkerer.

There’s good information about the long and fascinating life and career of Peter on Wikipedia, click here.