Pizza began as a simple flatbread eaten by ancient Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans.

The modern pizza originated in Naples, Italy in the late 1700s. The first pizzas in Naples did not use tomatoes; they were topped with garlic, lard, and salt.

The Margherita pizza was created in 1889 to honor Queen Margherita of Savoy. The colors of the Margherita pizza (red tomato, white mozzarella, and green basil) mirror the Italian flag.

The word “pizza” first appeared in a Latin document from 997 AD.

The world’s oldest operating pizzeria, Antica Pizzeria Port’Alba, opened in 1738.

The United States consumes 3 billion pizzas annually. Americans eat an average of 350 slices per second.

Japan’s most popular “unusual” pizza toppings include squid, mayonnaise, and eel.

In Brazil, green peas are a common pizza topping.

Sweden is famous for its banana curry pizza.

The world’s most expensive pizza costs over $10,000 and is topped with caviar and edible gold.

Indian pizza chains often serve paneer, tandoori chicken, or spicy curry toppings.

Pizza was once considered a food for the poor until the 20th century.

The first United States pizzeria, Lombardi’s, opened in New York City in 1905.

The inventor of Hawaiian pizza, Sam Panopoulos, was Greek, not Hawaiian. Hawaiian pizza was invented in Canada.

Astronauts have made pizza in space and even used tortillas instead of crust.

Pizza was one of the first foods delivered by drone.

One of the earliest frozen pizzas was invented in 1957.

Pizza cheese melts optimally because mozzarella has stretchable protein fibers called caseins.

Domino’s tested a spinning robot that spreads pizza sauce.

Chuck E. Cheese was created by the creator of Pong, Nolan Bushnell.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles boosted pizza popularity with an entire generation of Xennials and Millennials.

Some economists use pizza prices to track inflation, similar to the Big Mac Index.

October is National Pizza Month in the United States.

Pizza was once legally classified as a vegetable in United States school lunch programs due to its tomato paste content.

There is a pizza museum in Philadelphia called Pizza Brain.

The “cheese pulls” in pizza commercials are often simulated with glue or plastic for effect.

There is a phobia called pizzaphobia, which is a fear of pizza, though it is very rare.

Surveys show pepperoni is the most loved pizza topping in America, while anchovies are the most hated.

A pizza-themed amusement park ride once existed called the Pizza Carousel.

In Iceland, pineapple pizza once sparked such a heated debate that the president jokingly suggested banning it.