Yet, KFC has discovered that half of young Americans think he was made up.
This has caused KFC to re-introduce the Colonel to the public, with a resurrect the dead campaign.
Harland Sanders was born on Sept. 9, 1890 and he used a $105 Social Security check to start KFC, that was when when he was 65.
That first restaurant, named Sanders Court & Cafe eventually became the chicken empire known as Kentucky Fried Chicken.
Back in 1976, only heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali was more recognized as a celebrity.
How soon we forget, over 60% of Americans aged 18-25, considered KFC's key demographic, didn't even know who Sanders was, in the KFC logo.
In a survey released recently, 50% think he's fictional, made up by a advertising agency, like McDonald's Ronald McDonald or Burger King's The King.
And then there's the 30% who have no idea who Colonel Harland Sanders is.
We would like to suggest that the fault belongs to the decision makers at KFC.
Sanders died 30 years ago and over the years the KFC name and logo has become more obscure.
Didn't we use to call it, 'Colonel Sanders Kentucky Fried Chicken?'
The decision to change the name distanced us from the man in the white suit.
And speaking of his white suit, who decided to take Sanders out of his iconic white suit and put him into a red apron in its logo?
Then KFC decided to make sandwiches without bread, wraps and grilled chicken when it was his fried chicken and the Colonel's secret recipe that made them famous.
It's no secret who made the public forget.
We would like to suggest that the fault belongs to the decision makers at KFC.
Sanders died 30 years ago and over the years the KFC name and logo has become more obscure.
Didn't we use to call it, 'Colonel Sanders Kentucky Fried Chicken?'
The decision to change the name distanced us from the man in the white suit.
And speaking of his white suit, who decided to take Sanders out of his iconic white suit and put him into a red apron in its logo?
Then KFC decided to make sandwiches without bread, wraps and grilled chicken when it was his fried chicken and the Colonel's secret recipe that made them famous.
It's no secret who made the public forget.
