Potato chips were invented accidentally in 1853
George Crum, who was a chef at the Moon's Lake House in New York, accidentally invented potato chips in 1853. After a guest at the restaurant kept returning potato fries, claiming that they weren't crisp enough, Crum sliced the potatoes thinly, fried them in hot oil and added salt. The "Saratoga Chips" later came to be known as potato chips.