When was pizza Margherita invented?

Flatbreads with toppings have been eaten for thousands of years, and pizza with tomato was sold on the streets of Naples by the 18th century. The popular story says that in June 1889 pizzaiolo Raffaele Esposito made three pizzas for the visiting Queen Margherita of Savoy. Her favourite, topped with tomato, mozzarella and basil to echo the red, white and green of the Italian flag, was named after her. Some historians question the details and note similar pizzas existed earlier. The art of the Neapolitan pizza maker was added to UNESCO’s intangible heritage list in 2017.