In 1841, 12-year-old Edmond Albius made history when he hand-pollinated a vanilla plant using a bamboo twig. Until then people thought only bees in Mexico could pollinate the plant, making vanilla expensive and rare. His discovery brought vanilla to the world. As an enslaved person, Edmond didn't get credit or payment for his achievement. He became a free man in 1848, but died in poverty years later. Today Edmond is recognized for starting the billion-dollar vanilla industry and giving us the flavor we love to use in baking, medicine, and of course, ice cream.
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