I scream, You scream...

Sharon Santino, Aug 9, 2010

C'mon, we all know where this is going. Whether its ice cream, frozen yogurt, frozen custard, sorbet or gelato--these cool treats are the quintessential desserts of summer. However, do you know which founding father liked ice cream so much that he spent $4,840 on it?

That big spender was none other than George Washington himself. Washington's long love affair with the confection began in 1789 when Betsy Hamilton (wife of Alexander Hamilton) introduced our first president to ice cream. Considered an extravagant delicacy at the time, he once spent $200 to purchase the creamy treat. With inflation, that would be a whopping $4,840 in today's dollars! He even installed two "ice boxes" at Mount Vernon so he could serve it after every meal.

Today, you don't have to be a rich American hero to enjoy ice cream. All you need is an excuse. August hosts a myriad of frozen treat holidays, so fill up your cone, pick a Popsicle out of the freezer and "toast" to America's most influential ice cream fan and summer's "sweet" end.

August 2: National Ice Cream Sandwich Day
August 6: National Root Beer Float Day
August 8: National Frozen Custard Day
August 14: Creamsicle Day
August 18: National Ice Cream Pie Day
August 19: National Soft Ice Cream Day
August 21: National Spumoni Day
August 25: National Banana Split Day
August 26: National Cherry Popsicle Day