Popular Toys of the 1950's

Hula Hoops have been around since 500 B.C., but it wasn't until the late 1950's when Richard Knerr and Arthur Melin manufactured a plastic version. With brilliant marketing, the Wham-O toy company turned it into an international sensation. It gained fad status in July of 1958 when Hula Hoop contests started popping up all over the world. During this time, the Carlton Products Corporation, one of the first manufacturers, produced over 50,000 hoops a day. In recent times, the hoop has gained recognition as not only a toy, but as a great form of exercise. In 1999, the Hula Hoop was inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame in New York.

The first World Hoop Day, an international holiday, began on July 7, 2007. Six continents joined in to establish a charity that donates hoops to under privileged children. The objective: pure pleasure and exercise. Child recipients of Mexico, Sri Lanka, Haiti, Costa Rica and the United States have received the donations. Other countries will be included as the organization grows. The next World Hoop Day takes place on December 12, 2012.

Silly putty lives on today, but its conception didn't begin until 1943. The government War Production Board asked American Industry to develop a synthetic rubber. The U.S. supply of rubber had been cut off by the Japanese invasion of rubber producing countries in the Far East.

James Wright, a General Electric Engineer, combined boric acid and Silicone oil in a test tube. Delighted with the polymerization of the two compounds, Wright removed it from the test tube and chucked it on the floor, and Silly Putty bounced onto the toy scene.

General Electric, recognizing the potential of the substance, put a worldwide call out to engineers to come up with a use for the product. But it was Ruth Fallgatter, a toy store owner, and Peter Hodgson, a marketing consultant, who put their heads together and turned the substance into a toy.

Fallgatter lost interest in marketing it, but Hodgson put up his own money and manufactured Silly Putty, a name he invented.

In 1949, George Lerner invented Mr. Potato Head. It took until 1952 for Hasbro to manufacture and distribute it. Baby boomers were the first to be introduced to a toy with plastic parts that, when inserted into a real potato, formed a silly looking character. The parts included hands, feet, ears, two mouths, two pairs of eyes, four noses, three hats, eyeglasses, a pipe, and eight felt pieces for facial hair. On April 30, 1952, Mr. Potato Head made history by being the first toy directly advertised to children on television. Prior to that all products were directly advertised to parents. The character evolved over the years due to regulations imposed in the 1960's by the U.S. government.  The parts were too sharp and had to be dulled down. This change made it more difficult for the plastic parts to puncture a real potato. Small children were choking on the parts and warnings had to go on the box. Manufactures were misleading the public by showing a potato on the box when a potato wasn't included. In 1964, the Mr. Potato Head kit included a plastic potato. Mr. Potato Head, like the Barbie Doll has enjoyed a long life and entertains children to this day.