The bagel as we know it came from Poland in the 17th century — although circular rolls with a hole in the middle go back way, way further. The myth goes that the Jewish community was forbidden from baking bread, so they boiled it instead.
As Jewish immigrants moved en masse to New York City in the late 1800s, they brought bagels with them. When mass production and automation were introduced, the popularity of the bagel expanded out of New York and rolled into the rest of the country.
As for toppings, the everything bagel we know and love, though, didn’t arise until at least the 1970s — and even then, its origin is debated. Today, you’ll find even more creative flavors and presentations emerging, such as the seasonal pumpkin or Chiefs-themed bagels at Meshuggah in Kansas City, or the turmeric everything bagel at Goldie’s in Columbia…