A historic advertisement for an ice cream machine. Machines like this one were common in domestic usage.

The first food approaching ice cream was likely made in China's Tang Dynasty in around 600 A.D. It was more akin to cold yogurt, but was a step in the right direction.

In the 1300s, ice cream became more advanced through the introduction of salt, which allowed it to be colder than ever before (salt lowers the freezing point of water)

In the 1700s, ice cream became a popular food among the aristocracies of Europe, with each country closely guarding their recipe. The French used eggs and the British "farmed" ice to make it.

In the early 1800s, ice cream creation was industrialized with the invention of the ice cream machine. Ice cream production later exploded, with it becoming the popular staple we know today.