Venice was importing sugar from India by the 13th century. By the 15th century, Italian aristocrats were creating sugar sculptures for their tables. Spun sugar was popular during the Renaissance. It was made by dipping a fork in and out of molten sugar and allowing the sugary threads to solidify in the air. An American patented a similar process in 1900. He used a rotating plate and threaded the sugar through a fork. He is credited with introducing his candy treat to the Ringling Brothers Circus. cAbout the same time, two Nashville candy makers invented an electric machine that melted sugar and spun it through tiny holes. They called their candy, Fairy Floss. Fairy Floss made its debut in 1904 at the St. Louis World's Fair. It was a huge success: the inventors sold over 68,500 boxes for a quarter a piece—a lot of money at the time: the cost of admission was only 50 cents! The 1920s saw Fairy Floss morph into Cotton Candy and become a staple at carnivals.