About 500 million ICEEs are sold every year, according to the company. But while Omar Knedlik had the idea for the ICEE, he didn't build the machine on his own, and that's where Dallas came into play.

With the help of the John E. Mitchell manufacturing firm, he designed and built a machine in 1960, patented it in 1962, and began calling it Icee, according to Smithsonian magazine.

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With the help of the John E. Mitchell manufacturing firm, he designed and built a machine in 1960, patented it in 1962, and began calling it Icee, according to Smithsonian magazine.

PHOTOS: 7-Eleven Slurpee cold, hard factsIn 1965, a 7-Eleven zone manager visiting a store in Carrollton, Texas, noticed an Icee machine and thought it had great sales potential for 7-Eleven stores.

With the help of the John E. Mitchell manufacturing firm, he designed and built a machine in 1960, patented it in 1962, and began calling it Icee, according to Smithsonian magazine.