Colonel Sanders

Background

Harland David Sanders was born in Henryville, Indiana, on September 9, 1890. His astrological sign was Virgo. His parents were Wilbur David and Margaret Ann, and he had two younger siblings. His father worked on an 80-acre farm until he broke his leg, after which he became a butcher. Harland’s father died of hay fever when he was just five years old. He was left in charge of the family when his father died and decided to learn how to cook. He worked various jobs by the age of eighteen. He even volunteered in the U.S. Army and served in Cuba as a mule handler.

Sanders’ entrepreneurial career began in 1930 when he opened a service station in Kentucky and opened a cafe, serving chicken to customers. Sanders eventually went to a nearby restaurant where he devised his recipe using eleven herbs and spices. He later purchased a hotel in Asheville, North Carolina. Gas was rationed during World War II. As a result, his customer base shrank, causing him to close the motel. Sanders subsequently chose to sell the restaurant, but that was not the end of his story. He traveled across the country, attempting to sell his chicken recipe to restaurant owners. Sanders was turned down multiple times and even laughed at, but he was not one to quit. His efforts paid off; after around a thousand visits, he persuaded Pete Herman to join him as a partner. As a result, Kentucky Fried Chicken was established in 1952. Everyone enjoyed Kentucky Fried Chicken. In its first year, the restaurant’s sales skyrocketed, accounting for more than 75 percent of its earnings from fried chicken. Appointing franchisees was a wise decision. K.F.C. established itself as a forerunner in the food industry. In 1964, he sold the Kentucky Fried Chicken Corporation to John Y. Brown, Jr. for $2 million. He kept the Canadian businesses and relocated to Mississauga, Ontario. Sanders used his stock assets to establish the Colonel Harland Sanders Charitable Organization and the Colonel Harland Sanders Trust.

He had two daughters and a son. However, he was sacked from his work once, and his wife abandoned him, taking the children with her for some time. After some time, Sanders received a letter from her brother in which he stated that his sister should not have married a guy like him who couldn’t even hold a job. Sanders was a high school dropout who was very motivated. His tremendous belief in himself and will to achieve propelled him to become one of the world’s most renowned persons.

Sanders died of pneumonia on September 16, 1980, in Louisiana, Kentucky. He had been diagnosed with leukemia the previous year.