The origins of Kentucky Fried Chicken can be traced to Harland Sanders, who was born in 1890 in Henreyville, Indiana. When Sanders was a boy, he dropped out of the sixth grade and began a stream of odd jobs, concentrating eventually on cooking. In time he opened his own gas station with an adjoining restaurant. In the 1930s, Sanders developed a "secret" recipe for cooking chicken by first applying a coating containing a mixture of 11 herbs and spices and then frying the chicken under pressure. This "southern fried chicken" eventually became a hit at the gas station and in 1956 Sanders decided to franchise his novel concept. By 1964, he had sold almost 700 franchises. Much of Sanders' success in this pioneer industry lay in his near obsession with product quality and a commitment to maintaining a focused line of products.