1904

In 1904, David Strickler, a 23-year-old soda jerk at a Latrobe drugstore, cut a banana lengthwise, added vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry ice cream and topped it with syrups, marshmallow, chopped nuts, whipped cream, and a maraschino cherry – and made banana and dessert history. Within a few years, the Banana Split had become a national phenomenon and Strickler an ice cream industry legend.

Latrobe drugstore
Great American Banana Split Celebration

2013

In 2013, to commemorate the ripest of milestones, Latrobe worked with the Pennsylvania Historical Society to erect an official marker on the site of the original pharmacy and hosted its first Great American Banana Split Celebration which has become a nationally famous annual event that draws tens of thousands of banana and dessert lovers every August.