A German immigrant named Charles Feltman sells the first sausage-in-a-roll from a pushcart at Coney Island. Nathan Handwerker, his bun-slicer, opens a competing stand at half the price in 1916.
Every Nathan's champion since 1972. Tap any year. The record stands at seventy-six.
The contest is younger and more recently invented than it claims. Here's what's true.
A German immigrant named Charles Feltman sells the first sausage-in-a-roll from a pushcart at Coney Island. Nathan Handwerker, his bun-slicer, opens a competing stand at half the price in 1916.
Nathan's claims the contest began in 1916 — a story two publicists, Morty Matz and Max Rosey, admitted fabricating in the early 1970s. The first verified contest is 1972.
A 23-year-old from Nagano eats 50 hot dogs — doubling the previous record. He invents the Solomon Method (split the dog, dunk the bun) and wins six straight.
Tap any column to see that year's results. Toggle Men's / Women's. Filter by era.
Six eaters who turned a boardwalk novelty into a televised sport.