when did buffalo wings become popular

Buffalo wings became popular starting in the 1960s in Buffalo, New York, where they were invented by Teressa Bellissimo at the Anchor Bar in 1964. Initially a local specialty, their popularity spread beyond Buffalo in the 1970s and 1980s, becoming a widespread bar food and appetizer across the United States. The dish gained a significant boost in recognition nationally after being featured in TV commercials and with the establishment of National Chicken Wing Day in Buffalo in 1977. By the 1990s, Buffalo wings were commonly found across the country and became a popular food item for sports events and bars, with large franchises specializing in wings emerging in the early 1980s and the major fast-food chains adding wings to their menus in the 1990s.