The warm months of June and July lead to thoughts of how to keep cool in the intense summer heat. A scoop or two of ice cream is perhaps the most popular way to chill out after a long, hard day of lounging at the pool or perfecting your swing at the driving range. In fact, Americans consume about six pounds of ice cream each year on average, according to eZcater.com, and the majority of this consumption is done during the summer months. That may seem crazy, but the heat has to be beat somehow, right?

The two most popular flavors of ice cream, as one might guess, are vanilla and chocolate. Though chocolate falls slightly behind vanilla in sales, it is no less deserving of its own special day. Not only is chocolate rich in flavor, it is rich in antioxidants as well. Chocolate melts faster than vanilla, so it is plain to see why National Chocolate Ice Cream Day is held on June 7, before National Vanilla Ice Cream Day, which falls at the end of the warmer month of July.

All of this talk about summer and sweet treats may make a history lesson seem out of place, but learning about the history of ice cream is anything but boring. According to inquisitr.com, this guilty pleasure was brought to the United States by Thomas Jefferson around 1780, but was originally inspired by a Roman emperor who combined ice and snow to make flavored ice. In 1904, ice cream was dished into a waffle cone for the first time at the World Fair in St. Louis. This Friday, June 7, 2013, celebrate the rich history of this summertime favorite, as well as National Chocolate Ice Cream Day, with a big bowl of chocolate ice cream–we suggest this recipe for Chocolate Chile Bohemia Ice Cream that includes something to double your pleasure (hint: it’s beer).