Celebrating 75
DR. BRONNER’S MAGIC SOAPS: 1948
Entrepreneur Emanuel Heilbronner was born into a prestigious family of German- Jewish soap makers. Heilbronner emigrated from Germany to the United States in 1929, bringing his vast knowledge of soaps and chemistry with him. Trying to make it in US markets in the midst of World War II, Heilbronner dropped Heil from his moniker and adopted “Dr.” as more of a nickname than an academic title. Thus, the Dr. Bronner’s we know and love today was born. Now based in Vista, Dr. Bronner’s is still family owned and operated five generations later, crafting organic and fair-trade soaps with dizzyingly verbose labels.
WD-40: 1953 Where would DIYing dads be without their trusty can of primary-colored WD-40? Created in a San Diego lab in 1953, WD-40 was originally designed to serve as rust prevention for the outer skins of Cold War–era Atlas missiles. The water displacement formula was perfected on the 40th attempt, hence the number in the name. Once used to lube up ballistic weapons, the product now fights squeaky door hinges in more than 176 countries worldwide.
JACK IN THE BOX: 1951 Yet another reason to love San Diego: It’s the birthplace of every, ahem , plant medicine partaker’s favorite spot for 3 a.m. egg rolls, tacos, and burgers. Robert O. Peterson launched the fast-food brand in 1951 on El Cajon Boulevard, headquartering it in San Diego, which currently boasts 37 of Jack in the Box’s 2,200-plus locations, all renowned for their round-the-clock munchies, cheap prices, and clown-headed mascot clad in business wear.
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