Women win the right
to vote in the U.S.

The World Series is broadcast on the radio for the first time

Elisha Shabaz begins selling tamales to pushcart vendors in downtown Chicago, founding Illinois Tamale Company

The stock market crashes, precipitating the Great Depression

The Chicago Blackhawks win the Stanley Cup

The Chicago Blackhawks win the Stanley Cup

Elisha’s youngest son Edward starts working at Illinois Tamale Company with his dad

Edward’s son Warren is born

Jackie Robinson plays his first MLB game with the Dodgers

The tamale business continues to grow steadily

The Shabaz family continues to grow steadily as well

Warren begins working at Illinois Tamale Company at the ripe old age of 9. At this time the only employees are Warren, his grandpa Elisha, his grandma Nancy, and Pete the Armenian.

Elisha and his wife Nancy diligently rolling tamales

The Chicago Blackhawks win the Stanley Cup

Warren assumes management of Illinois Tamale Company, incorporates the business and condenses the name to Il-Ta-Co (Iltaco) Foods Company

Warren is drafted into the Army and is shortly thereafter dispatched to the U.S. Navy, while his mother and brother manage the business in his stead

Man lands on the moon

Warren resumes management of Iltaco upon his return from military duty  and gets straight to work

Warren falls in love and marries his lovely bride Mariam

Iltaco moves operations to its current location at 1376 W Hubbard Street

Warren & Mariam have their first child, a daughter named Alisha, her namesake being her great grandfather and Iltaco’s founder Elisha

This was a big year! Warren & Mariam’s first son Andrew is born,
as is the Pizza Puff! The Original Pizza Puff is introduced to local Chicagoans and quickly added to Iltaco’s line of products

The Beef Pizza Puff is added to the Puff product line

Warren & Mariam’s second son Adam is born

and the Ham & Cheese Puff is added to the Puff line

First female Supreme Court justice Sandra Day O’Connor is sworn in

The Burrito is introduced and the Taco Puff is added to the product line

The Chicago Bears win the Super Bowl and everybody partied hard

Four Cheese, Spinach & Cheese, and Deluxe Puffs are added to the product line

The Big Pizza is
introduced and added to Iltaco’s product line

The World Wide Web is introduced to the public

Iltaco expands its current location

Alisha Shabaz begins working at Iltaco Foods

The Chicago White Sox win the World Series

President elect Barack Obama delivers his acceptance speech at Grant Park in downtown Chicago

Adam Shabaz begins working at Iltaco Foods

The Chicago Blackhawks win the Stanley Cup

The Gyro and Breakfast Sausage flavors are added to the growing variety of puffs

The Chicago Blackhawks win the Stanley Cup and the BBQ Pulled Pork Puff is added

The Buffalo Chicken puff is added to the roster

Andrew Shabaz begins working at Iltaco Foods; the Chicago Blackhawks win the Stanley Cup

The Chicago Cubs win the World Series and the Reuben Puff is added

The sales team working hard at trade shows

Warren and Mariam now have all of their children working in the family business

Andrew’s first son Alex begins his Iltaco training, becoming the fifth generation of Shabazs to learn the family biz