It seems there’s always a new, must-have toy or gadget released for Christmas. In the past 10 years we’ve crazed over TiVo, the iPod and even toys as comical as Furbie and Tickle-Me-Elmo. Here’s a further look back at our Christmas obsessions.
1902: Inspired by President Theodore Roosevelt’s conservation efforts, the Teddy
Bear came into being. It was one of the first stuffed toys.
1903: Crayons were first developed in Europe. They quickly made their way to the
U.S. where a box of eight Crayola Crayons retailed for 5 cents.
1910: Joshua Lionel Cowen tried to make an electric train at age 7, but it exploded.
Years later, his efforts were successful and the Lionel train was born. It cost $6
and consisted of an electric flatcar and 30 feet of track.
1930: Alfred Butts created a game that utilized chance and skill. Called Lexiko, then
Criss Cross Words, it was sold to James Brunot, who renamed it “Scrabble,” a
real word meaning “to grope frantically.”
1932: The modern Yo-Yo was patented by Donald Duncan.
1934: Monopoly was created by Charles Darrow, a Pennsylvania engineer. Parker
Brothers turned it down for being too complicated, but later bought it in 1935.
1943: The year of the Slinky, which is still enjoyed by kids and adults.
1959: Barbie dolls were created by Elliot Handler, the founder of Mattel. About half
of American girls have owned at least one.
1960: The year of the Etch-a-Sketch.
1965: GI Joe. Followed by action figures in 1977 .
1970: Pong. Though others worked on a similar game, Nolan Bushnell patented
Pong, which was the first video game.
1979: Trivial Pursuit dominated the board game industry.
1993: Beanie Babies were introduced.
December 2008 Newsletter