The Slinky Was Invented In Pennsylvania

Have you ever noticed how the best toys are sometimes the simplest or maybe not even toys at all? Buy a kid or a pet – dog, cat, rabbit – a fancy, expensive toy, and there’s a pretty good chance that both the little one and the furry one will become absolutely enthralled with the box. Maybe we even did the same when we were little. One toy that most of us likely had growing up was the Slinky, that metal coil that loved to crawl down the stairs. A simple toy that made so many of us happy. Did you know that the Slinky was invented in Pennsylvania?

Sometimes the best things in life happen by accident. A bump in a grocery store leads to a lifelong love. A detour on the way home leads to someone, who we can help, in need. A drop of a spring becomes a favorite toy for generations of children.

The invention of the Slinky was a happy accident. One day in 1943, Richard James, a mechanical engineer in Philadelphia, was trying to figure out how to create and use springs to secure equipment on Navy ships at sea.

As he was working, he bumped a shelf and watched as the springs tumbled. But, they didn’t fall as other objects would. Instead, they “walked” down the shelf.

James was intrigued and later shared what happened with his wife, Betty. It was, they decided, a simple yet perfect toy, but what would they call it? Betty opened the dictionary and started searching for the ideal name, eventually landing on Slinky.

With a loan of $500, the James set to work. Richard invented a machine to take the 80 feet of wire and coil it, and…Voila. The Slinky, a two-inch spiral of metal wire, was born.

The Slinky wasn’t an instant success, then, during the Christmas season in 1945, Gimbels Department Store invited James to demonstrate their innovative toy. Instant success.

Four hundred Slinkys sold as a result of that initial demonstration and the rest, as they say, is history. In those early days, Slinkys were advertised on TV and, since their introduction in the mid-1940s, an estimated 300 million Sinkys have been sold.

The Slinky is so popular that it has its own day – August 30. The James' beloved toy also earned its rightful spot in the National Toy Hall of Fame in 2000.

Did you know that the Slinky was invented in Pennsylvania? Did you have, or maybe you still have, a Slinky as a kid? Let us know in the comments! Then take a peek at these 12 inventions in Pennsylvania that contributed to world history. Do you still have your childhood Slinky? If not, why not buy a new (or vintage) one?

12 Changes And Inventions Pennsylvania Contributed To The History Of The World

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Philadelphia, PA, USA

Most People Didn't Know That The Slinky Was Invented Right Here In Pennsylvania

Beth Price-Williams

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