Fried Chicken, Twinkies and 13 More Unexpected Shortages In History
Shortages usually bring to mind breadlines, gasoline, or toilet paper, but history has a habit of throwing curveballs. Many past shortages revolved around a treat, a tool, or just something nobody thought could run out. These 15 bizarre, frustrating, and oddly funny shortages reveal how delicate our supply chains and expectations are.
KFC Ran Out of Chicken
Credit: Youtube
A fast-food chain built on chicken should keep chicken on hand, but in 2018, a switch to a new delivery company caused a breakdown in the supply chain, and over 600 stores had nothing to fry. KFC recovered, but not before making headlines as the chicken joint without chicken.
Johnny Carson Accidentally Sparked a Toilet Paper Panic
Credit: IMDb
In 1973, Johnny Carson cracked a joke about a toilet paper shortage on The Tonight Show. Viewers didn’t get the memo that it was, in fact, a joke. It prompted mass panic buying and genuine rationing in some stores. Carson later apologized, but the roll had already unraveled by then.
Britain Ran Out of Firewood
Credit: Reddit
In the 1500s, firewood was how people stayed alive in winter, but centuries of deforestation left Britain scrambling. With trees gone and winters brutal, many turned their eyes to the Americas, where forests still stretched for miles. This fuel crisis helped drive the early waves of colonization.
South Korea’s Cabbage Crisis
Credit: Reddit
Kimchi is a national staple in South Korea, but in 2010, record floods wiped out napa cabbage crops across Asia. People started calling kimchi “geum-chi” (gold-chi). Desperate home cooks tried using other veggies, but the fermented side dish wasn’t the same without its core ingredient.
Bananas Vanished During WWII
Credit: X
Britain had no bananas for most of WWII because all available shipping vessels were used for operations. That left grocery stores bare, and a whole generation of kids grew up without ever seeing a banana. When shipments resumed in 1946, the exotic yellow fruit practically caused a national event.
Norway’s Butter Crisis
Credit: Wikipedia
A rainy summer in Scandinavia lowered milk yields across the region. The impact was especially sharp in Norway, where one company controlled 90% of butter production. As Christmas approached, bakers couldn’t find butter for cookies or cakes. Some Norwegians even traveled to Sweden in search of the good stuff.
Christmas Tree Shortage Years After the Recession
Credit: flickr
The thing about Christmas trees is that they take nearly a decade to grow. So when farmers planted fewer trees during the 2008 recession due to lower demand, the effects weren’t felt until 2017. By that time, the trees that had been planted before the recession were finally ready for harvest. However, with fewer trees available to meet ongoing demand, the supply fell short. As a result, prices for Christmas trees rose in 2017, and many families found their holiday plans affected by the higher costs.
A Tsunami in Japan Disrupted Hollywood’s Tape Supply
Credit: flickr
Sony made the majority of professional videotapes at a single plant in Japan. Then came the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami. The factory was damaged, and suddenly, the entertainment industry was scrounging for tape like it was gold. Editors got creative, or just got behind schedule.
Helium Shortages Kept Balloons Grounded
Credit: usatoday
Aside from blowing party balloons, Helium cools MRI machines, powers rocket fuel systems, and helps in fiber optics. The first major helium shortage hit in 1958 and affected even the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Parade floats had to be filled with air and carried on cranes.
2022’s Baby Formula Shortage
Credit: Wikipedia
Yes, Abbott Nutrition’s recall set things off, but deeper problems were already in play—overreliance on one company, limited imports, and red tape meant one plant’s shutdown created nationwide fallout. Shelves went empty, and the White House used planes to fly in formula from overseas.
Paper Shortage During the American Revolution
Credit: Reddit
Paper was so essential during the Revolutionary Era that mill workers were kept off the field. Without enough paper, there’d be no newspapers, books, or government documents to help them fight for independence. States protected mills like they were ammunition depots, because in a way, they were.
Twinkies Almost Disappeared
Credit: flickr
Hostess went bankrupt in 2012, and America nearly lost its most iconic cream-filled snack. Some people hoarded them, and others tried selling them on eBay for outrageous prices. Thankfully, the panic was short-lived. Hostess was bought out in 2013, and the Twinkies returned.
A Maple Syrup Heist Made Canada Nervous
Credit: flickr
In 2012, thieves in Quebec stole nearly 3,000 tons of maple syrup—worth over $18 million—from the province’s strategic syrup reserve. Yes, that’s a real thing. The incident triggered a nationwide investigation and led to a temporary syrup shortage.
Crayon Shortage Had Classrooms in Chaos
Credit: flickr
Supply chain slowdowns caused by the pandemic in 2021 hit the back-to-school season hard. Crayola and other brands couldn’t keep up with demand due to resin shortages and transport delays. Teachers, parents, and kids scrambled for basics like crayons, markers, and glue sticks.
Sriracha Lovers Faced a Fiery Drought
Credit: flickr
Huy Fong Foods halted production of its iconic sriracha sauce in 2022. A drought in northern Mexico wiped out the red jalapeño harvest. Spicy food fans tried knockoffs but weren’t satisfied. The shortage turned loyal customers into sauce scavengers until the heat returned in 2023.