Oreos were created by the National Biscuit Company (Nabisco) in 1912; the modern crème filling was later developed by Nabisco food scientist Sam Porcello, often called the “father of the Oreo.”

Origin

The Oreo “biscuit” was first developed and produced by Nabisco in 1912 at its Chelsea, New York factory, with the name trademarked that same year. The product launched as Nabisco’s answer to Sunshine’s Hydrox sandwich cookie, which had debuted in 1908.

Key contributor

Sam Porcello, a principal food scientist at Nabisco, developed the modern Oreo crème filling and held several related patents, leading many accounts to credit him as the architect of the Oreo as known today.

Timeline note

Oreo cookies were first introduced on March 6, 1912, by the National Biscuit Company (later Nabisco), a date widely cited in historical “Today in History” summaries.