Hormel introduced Spam, a canned pork shoulder product, on July 5, 1937, partly to sell more of a cut of pork that was not selling well. The name's origin is disputed: the most popular theory is that it is short for spiced ham, but Hormel says only a few former executives know the answer. During World War II, fresh meat was hard to deliver to the front, so Spam became a common part of U.S. soldiers' diets, with over 150 million pounds sent to the military before the war ended. Lend-Lease also sent it to Britain and the Soviet Union, where it became a wartime staple.

Hampi is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Karnataka, India, with more than 1,600 surviving remains spread over 4,100 hectares. It was the capital of the Vijayanagara Empire from 1336 to 1565. Travellers from Persia and Portugal described it as a prosperous, wealthy and grand city with temples, markets and farms along the Tungabhadra River. By 1500 it was estimated to be the world's second-largest city after Beijing, and probably India's richest at the time. In 1565 a coalition of Muslim sultanates defeated the Vijayanagara Empire, its capital was conquered and destroyed, and the city was left in ruins. Hampi remains a religious centre, with the active Virupaksha Temple at its heart.