The Squeaky History of the Rubber Duck
Today in 1970, Ernie from Sesame Street first sang his signature song, “Rubber Duckie.” So it's a great time to talk about how so many people became awfully fond of rubber ducks.
The Easy-Bake Oven Has Put Kids At The Forefront Of Lightbulb-Based Cooking For Decades
It was today in 1963 that kids could start baking by lightbulb thanks to these colorful little toy appliances. We'll explain how the Easy Bake Oven came together.
Rockford, Illinois Is The Birthplace Of The Sock Monkey
Today in 1992, it's said the first picture book featuring a sock monkey was published. But where did the sock monkey itself show up? That was decades earlier, in the Illinois city of Rockford - or, as it's sometimes called, Sockford.
Novelty Maker S.S. Adams Put The Joy In Joy Buzzers
Today in 1879, the birthday of S.S. Adams. If you don’t know the name, you know the products: joy buzzers, sneezing powder, the dribble glass and hundreds of other novelties known all over the world all started with the S.S. Adams Company.
Before Play-Doh Became A Childhood Icon, It Was Known As Kutol Wallpaper Cleaner
Today in 1956, the US issued a patent for Play-Doh. Millions of kids have built bazillions of things with this colorful stuff, but in its first life, Play-Doh had a very different job: cleaning soot off wallpaper.
Sign Spinning Isn’t Just A Job, It’s A Sport
Tomorrow in Las Vegas, the 2023 AArrow Sign Spinners competition begins, with elite-level sign spinners showing off their best moves.
The Pet Rock Started As A Dad Joke And Ended Up As A Million Dollar Idea
It was around this time in 1975 that Gary Dahl dropped by a gift show in San Francisco with the idea for the pet rock. It would make him a millionaire.
Sunlight Plus Salt Water Equals A Cooling System
A project out of a Saudi university has built a cooling system that uses salt, water and heat from sunlight, but not electricity.
How The Hula Hoop Got The World Up And Moving
Today in 1963 the Hula Hoop was patented, although by that point it had already become a worldwide phenomenon. And toy hoops go way, way back even before the toys we know today first became popular.
The Slinky Was Invented By Accident, But What An Accident It Was (Cool Weird Awesome 429)
Today is the day the Slinky first became a phenomenon, even though it was invented by accident.