I scream for ice cream.
In 1984, President Ronald Reagan declared July as National Ice Cream month and the third Sunday of the month as National Ice Cream Day. He recognized ice cream as a fun and nutritious food that was enjoyed by 90 percent of the population.
In the proclamation, President Reagan asked for everyone in the United States to observe the events with "appropriate ceremonies and activities."
In honor of National Ice Cream Day, New Yorkers headed out to get their double scoop of fun.
Ripley's Believe it or Not! in Time Square, New York, offered its guest free samples of a host of strange flavors, including lox, pizza and mustard.
Ben and Jerry's Scoop Truck roved around the city to give New Yorkers a taste of their newest Greek flavors, Liv Lemon, Raspberry Fudge Chunk and Banana Peanut Butter. Twitter followers twitted @BenJerrystruck to find the truck location.
Baskin Robbins delighted consumers with a free waffle cone with any two-scoop purchase.
While you're off cooling with your cone, check out these fun ice cream facts:
1. Americans are the No.1 consumers of ice cream worldwide, eating 48 pints of ice per person every year on average. New Zealand comes in at second place.
2. Immigrants at Ellis Island were served ice cream as part of welcoming to America.
3. About 9 percent of all the milk produced by U.S. dairy farmers is used to produce ice cream
4. Vanilla is the most popular flavor, accounting for 20-29 percent of overall sales of ice cream. Chocolate comes in a distant second.
5. The biggest ice cream sundae in history was made in Edmonton Alberta, Canada, in 1986 and weighed over 24 tons, according to IceCream.com
The United States ice cream industry generated $10 billion of total revenue in 2010. Take home ice cream represented the largest section of the market, generating of 67.7 percent of the market's overall value.
Founded in 1900, the International Ice Cream Association is the trade association for manufactures and distributors of ice cream and other frozen dessert products. The association's activities range from legislative and regulatory advocacy to market research, education and training.
Did you enjoy your double scoop?
