April 7, 2023 – Theme Week Day 5

We’re finishing up our theme week on Accidental Inventions with Silly Putty! The invention of one of the best selling toys in history goes back to World War II. Japan had invaded rubber-producing countries in the Pacific Rim as it expanded its sphere of influence. Rubber, of course, was vital for producing things like tires, aircraft parts, gas masks, and boots for the war effort. As a result, the U.S. rationed rubber products and asked scientists to search for a synthetic substitute for rubber to help with the shortage. James Wright was working for General Electric in New Haven, CT. In 1943, he was experimenting with rubber substitutes and added some boric acid to silicon oil. The result was something similar to rubber, which was flexible, bouncy, and stretchy. However, it tended to melt and couldn’t hold a solid shape. GE tried to figure out what to do with the product for years. Mostly they’d bring it out with parties as a fun way to amuse their friends and neighbors. People at one of the parties – a toy store owner named Ruth Fallgetter and a marketing consultant named Peter Hodgson – immediately saw the potential. Fallgetter started selling it in her store, but eventually lost interest. Hodgson decided to buy the production rights from GE. Inspired by the upcoming Easter holiday, he repackaged it in plastic eggs and named it Silly Putty. Since first being sold in 1950, 300 million plastic eggs of Silly Putty have been sold. It’s even been to space! In 1961, the Apollo 8 astronauts brought it with them in lunar orbit, and used it to hold down their tools in zero gravity. It was inducted into the Toy Hall of Fame in 2001. Learn more here.