The Slinky is a toy that many people all over the world know and love. This pre-compressed helical spring toy was released to the public during the 1940s and was immediately popular, but it didn’t really become a national sensation until the 1950s. Of course, it would continue to be popular for subsequent generations of children and adults alike and has even remained popular to this day.

It is so popular that a whole holiday has been created to celebrate it. This holiday is observed annually on August 30th and is aptly known as Slinky Day. It’s the perfect day to grab one of these toys and have a little bit of fun.

The History of Slinky Day

While developing springs that could stabilize sensitive instruments aboard ships in choppy waters, naval mechanical engineer Richard T. James knocked a spring off a table while he was stationed at the William Cramp & Sons shipyards in Philadelphia.

He noticed that the spring stepped in a series of arcs to a stack of books, then to the tabletop, and eventually to the floor where it recoiled itself. This gave him the idea to develop the Slinky, although it would take some time and a little bit of experimentation before he found the right combination of steel and tension.

James’ wife, Betty, was a bit skeptical of the toy at first but eventually changed her mind when she saw how the neighborhood children took an interest in it. She decided to then name it Slinky after she found the word in the dictionary. And the rest, as they often say, is history.

With a $500 loan, the couple formed James Industries and made 400 Slinky units. They then sold them for $1 each. Although it took a little convincing for toy stores to carry it, once they did, the Slinky was an immediate hit. The 400 Slinky units sold in 90 minutes. The following year, in 1946, the Slinky was introduced at the American Toy Fair.

Some Cool Slinky Trivia

We can’t resist looking up and listing some cool Slinky trivia, so that’s precisely what we did. You can find the following Slinky trivia facts below that we feel everyone will appreciate.

• More than 300 million Slinkys have been sold.
• A stretched-out Slinky would measure 87 feet long.
• Slinkys were used as mobile antennas by troops during the Vietnam War.

Observing Slinky Day

Slinky Day can be observed by grabbing a Slinky (or two or three) and playing with them. They can also be given to friends, family members, and anyone else who likes to have wholesome fun.

Slinkys can be purchased at toy stores around the world, but anyone who can’t find one can always order one from Amazon or some other online retailer. No matter how a person celebrates this day, we encourage everyone to spread the word about the Slinky around the world using the hashtag #SlinkyDay on social media.