Donut anniversary: In honor of the one-month anniversary of Dunkin Donuts opening in Bradford, which was July 24, here are some fun and useful facts about donuts — or doughnuts as they are also called.

Donuts are the most popular in Boston, Mass., apparently. The ratio of people to donut shops in Boston is 2,480/1. That is impressive.

At the 1933 Chicago World’s Fair, doughnuts were billed as the “hit food of the century of progress.” They were fresh, produced quickly and remained cheap, so during the Depression, this particular food choice became popular with the working class.

Donuts have been used as a medicinal cure, sold with Nyquil or Pepto Bismol coating by an establishment called Voodoo Doughnut. This venue was located in Portland, Oregon. However, the Food & Drug Administration were not receptive to the medicinal vibe, and these doughnut flavors were retired.

Washington Irving was the first to describe doughnuts in print, and he was kind enough to be a fan and wax poetic about the tasty treat.

Donuts have also been recognized as a comfort food and utilized to remind military members of home. In fact, the Salvation Army workers brought them, along with coffee, to soldiers in the trenches during World War I for just such a purpose.

In a country where fast food and sugary delights are among the most popular — and non-diet friendly — menu items, it is no surprise that each year, various franchises combine to create more than 10 billion doughnuts. Canada, however, wears the crown for the highest number of donut shops per capita, considering they have fewer residents. Their typical annual production is much lower than that of the US, with roughly one billion donuts produced.

A competitive chain in the 1940’s created donuts made with mashed potatoes or potato starch. These were known as Spudnuts. The chain was started by two brothers and was actually the first fast food donut chain to open in Los Angeles.