Did you know today is National Slinky Day. Here are some fun facts for you!
- The Slinky was invented and developed by naval engineer Richard T. James in 1943 and demonstrated at Gimbels department store in Philadelphia in November 1945. The toy was a hit, selling its entire inventory of 400 units in ninety minute
- During the Vietnam War, U.S. soldiers used Slinkys as mobile radio antennas.
- Slinky is the Official State Toy of Pennsylvania. Today, all Slinky’s are made in Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania, using the original equipment designed and engineered by Richard James.
- Each Slinky is made from 80 feet of wire which folds up in 10 seconds.
- NASA used the springy toy for zero-gravity physics experiments in space.
- The Slinky song is the longest-running jingle in advertising history.
- In its first 60 years, more than 300 million have been sold worldwide and in excess of 50,000 tons of wire has been used since the first Slinky went into production.
- If you joined them all up they would encircle the earth more than 126 times.\
What’s your favorite Slinky memory? Do you remember playing with Slinkys?