How a celebratory dinner in Ohio became a deadly medical catastrophe
In short: In August 1919, a victory celebration for a returning war hero turned into one of the deadliest food poisoning outbreaks in American history, leaving a community in mourning.
On August 23, 1919, the Lakeside club in Canton, Ohio, hosted a dinner and dance to honor Colonel Charles C. Weybrecht, who had recently returned from serving in France. The event was part of a nationwide trend of celebrations for the roughly 2.8 million US service members returning from the Great War.
The festivities took a dark turn just three days later when the first death was recorded, marking the beginning of the 'Great Olive Poisoning' outbreak.
Opens the Intellect+ feed with this card first. Swipe up for the next one.
Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: The "Great Olive Poisoning" of 1919
To cite this card, link to https://intellectplus.co.uk/app/history-the-great-olive-poisoning-of-1919.
How we source, check and correct cards: Editorial standards.
General information, not professional advice. Spotted an error? Flag the card or see corrections and complaints.
Intellect Plus is a visual educational discovery platform for exploring fascinating facts and ideas. Brain Food, Not Brain Rot. What is Intellect Plus?
Related
More in History · Latest · A–Z · All topics
