February 9th is a day to celebrate one of the world's favorite foods, pizza.

Photo/Alan Hardman on Unsplash.com
Photo/Alan Hardman on Unsplash.com
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One of my core pizza memories is getting personal pan pizzas from Pizza Hut for reading as part of the Book It! program.

Pizza Hut in Louisiana
Getty Images for Pizza Hut
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Pizza has a long and ancient history long before my beloved Book It! memories.

Photo/Erik Jan Leusink on Unsplash.com
Photo/Erik Jan Leusink on Unsplash.com
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According to Medium, pizza has ancient origins. The Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans all enjoyed flatbreads topped with various ingredients. These early precursors laid the foundation for what would eventually become the pizza we know and love. 

Photo/Gabriella Clare Marino on Unsplash.com
Photo/Gabriella Clare Marino on Unsplash.com
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According to History.com, "Naples was founded around 600 B.C. as a Greek settlement and became a thriving waterfront city in the 1700s and 1800s. It was a city known for its working poor who required inexpensive food that could be eaten quickly. Flatbreads with various toppings were sold by street vendors or informal restaurants. These early pizzas included toppings like tomatoes, cheese, oil, anchovies, and garlic."

Landmarks In the Historic Southern Italian City Of Naples
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In the 19th century, the modern pizza was born in Naples, Italy. The story goes that in 1899 pizzaiolo Raffaele Esposito created the Pizza Margherita to hoor Queen Margherita of Italy. The pizza would include tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, and fresh basil to symbolize the Italian flag.

Photo/Alexandra Gorn on Unsplash.com
Photo/Alexandra Gorn on Unsplash.com
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Pizza came to the United States when Italian immigrants brought pizza with them in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Here are some local Cedar City spots to celebrate National Pizza Day.

Photo/Andrea Wright
Photo/Andrea Wright
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Centro Woodfired Pizzeria: 50 West Center Street 

Photo/Andrea Wright
Photo/Andrea Wright
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Pizza Cart: 1190 Sage Drive

Photo/Google Maps
Photo/Google Maps
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Brunos Italian Deli: 1744 West Royal Hunt Drive 

Photo/Google Maps
Photo/Google Maps
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Pizza Factory: 131 South Main Street 

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