Exactly 75 years ago Thursday, the first can of Spam luncheon meat rolled off the assembly line at the Geo. A. Hormel & Company plant in Austin. The canned ham became an instant success for Hormel. That brand — which Monty Python parodied in a famous 1970 sketch comedy, spawned its own museum in 2001, and became synonymous with unsolicited emails — propelled the company to international success and remains a big part of the company's image.