Colonel sanders kfc biography

Do you all know the old man in a white suit in the advertisements done by Kentucky Fried Chicken, or KFC? 

The individual portraying the character in the advertisements is Colonel Harland Sanders, the renowned founder of KFC. During the 1960s and 1970s, Sanders gained global fame for his distinctive attire, memorable commercials, and television appearances. But behind the charismatic persona of Sanders and his secret recipe to make fried chicken lies the journey of an ambitious man struggling as an entrepreneur in the early 20th century to establish one of the largest fast food restaurants in the world.

Birth and early life

Harland David Sanders had a difficult early life. Born on 9th September 1890, in Henryville, Indiana, USA, Sanders was the oldest of three siblings. His father, Wilbur David Sanders, worked on a farm until he met with an accident and broke his leg. After this, he worked as a butcher and died in 1895. Harland Sanders was only five years old at the time of his father’s death.

Wilbur’s death affected the family both financially and mentally. To make ends meet, Margaret Ann Sanders, Harland Sanders’ mother, took up a small job at a tomato cannery. This left Sanders to take care of his younger siblings at a very young age.

It was during this time that Sanders learned to cook, and he even achieved mastery in cooking bread and vegetables by the age of 7. He also started cooking meat for his siblings during this time.

Later, his mother remarried twice, and in 1902, the family moved to Greenwood, Indiana, making life more difficult for the young Sanders.

In 1903, Sanders left school, declaring his disdain for algebra, and started taking up odd jobs nearby.

Sanders’ early professional life

Sanders left home, aged 13, and went to Indianapolis to work as a horse carriage painter. Only a year later, he went to Southern Indiana to work on a farm, as his father had done in his younge

American entrepreneur (1890–1980)

This article is about the American businessman. For other people called Colonel Sanders, see Colonel Sanders (disambiguation).

ColonelHarland David Sanders (September 9, 1890 – December 16, 1980) was an American businessman and founder of fast food chicken restaurant chain Kentucky Fried Chicken (also known as KFC). He later acted as the company's brand ambassador and symbol. His name and image are still symbols of the company.

Sanders held a number of jobs in his early life, such as steam engine stoker, insurance salesman, and filling station operator. He began selling fried chicken from his roadside restaurant in North Corbin, Kentucky, during the Great Depression. During that time, Sanders developed his "secret recipe" and his patented method of cooking chicken in a pressure fryer. Sanders recognized the potential of the restaurant franchising concept, and the first KFC franchise opened in South Salt Lake, Utah, in 1952. When his original restaurant closed, he devoted himself full-time to franchising his fried chicken throughout the country.

The company's rapid expansion across the United States and overseas became overwhelming for Sanders. In 1964, then 73 years old, he sold the company to a group of investors led by John Y. Brown Jr. and Jack C. Massey for $2 million ($19.6 million today). However, he retained control of operations in Canada, and he became a salaried brand ambassador for Kentucky Fried Chicken. In his later years, he became highly critical of the food served at KFC restaurants, and cost-cutting measures that he said reduced its quality, referring to the food as "God-damned slop" with a "wall-paper taste".

Life and career

1890–1906: early life

Harland David Sanders was born on September 9, 1890, in a four-room house located 3 miles (5 km) east of Henryville, Indiana. He was the oldest of three children born to Wilbur David a

Colonel Sanders

Kentucky Fried Chicken

Colonel Harland David Sanders was born on September 9, 1890, in Henryville, Indiana. At the age of 40, Sanders began cooking chicken for customers at his service station in Corbin, Kentucky, during the height of the Great Depression. After years of experimentation, he achieved his secret mix of 11 herbs and spices. His chicken became so popular that the governor of Kentucky designated him a Kentucky colonel – something he took so seriously that would dress the part. Later, he franchised Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurants around the country. In 1964, when he sold his share in the company - it already had 600 outlets nationwide and some abroad. In his later years, Sanders continued visiting the KFC restaurants around the world as its spokesman and brand ambassador. One of the things he was most proud of was the more than $20 million he gave over his lifetime to charities. He died of leukemia on December 16, 1980, at the age of 90, in Louisville, Kentucky.

Videos

(1890-1980)

Who Was Colonel Harland Sanders?

At the age of 40, Harland Sanders was running a popular Kentucky service station that also served food—so popular, in fact, that the governor of Kentucky designated him a Kentucky colonel. Eventually, Sanders focused on franchising his fried chicken business around the country, collecting a payment for each chicken sold. The company went on to become the world's largest fast-food chicken chain, Kentucky Fried Chicken. Sanders died in Louisville, Kentucky, on December 16, 1980.

Early Life and Career

Harland David Sanders was born on September 9, 1890, in Henryville, Indiana. After his father died when he was 6 years old, Sanders became responsible for feeding and taking care of his younger brother and sister. Beginning at an early age, he held down numerous jobs, including farmer, streetcar conductor, railroad fireman and insurance salesman.

At age 40, Sanders was running a service station in Kentucky, where he would also feed hungry travelers. Sanders eventually moved his operation to a restaurant across the street and featured a fried chicken so notable that he was named a Kentucky colonel in 1935 by Governor Ruby Laffoon.

Kentucky Fried Chicken is Born

In 1952, Sanders began franchising his chicken business. His first franchise sale went to Pete Harman, who ran a restaurant in Salt Lake City where “Kentucky Fried Chicken” had the allure of a Southern regional specialty. When a new interstate reduced traffic at Sanders' own restaurant in North Carolina, he sold the location in 1955. He then started traveling across the country, cooking batches of chicken from restaurant to restaurant, striking deals that paid him a nickel for every chicken the restaurant sold. In 1964, with more than 600 franchised outlets, he sold his interest in the company for $2 million to a group of investors.

Kentucky Fried Chicken went public in 1966 and was listed on the New York Stock Exchange in 1969. Mor