Buzz
In today’s America, patriotism often boils down to sticking a support the troops decal on your car or mastering Call of Duty on the hardest level. However, it wasn’t always this effortless. There was an era when even toys were expected to play a significant role in supporting the nation. Here are some of the most remarkable toys that stepped up when America needed them the most.
10. Silly String
In 1972, Leonard A. Fish and Robert P. Cox collaborated to develop an aerosol spray for casting broken limbs. Their attempt was unsuccessful, but they accidentally invented a product they called a 'foamable resinous composition.' Despite initial hesitation, Wham-O eventually took a chance and brought it to market.
By 2006, Spc. Todd Shriver and his unit in Iraq faced the challenge of detecting trip wires in buildings without triggering IEDs. They turned to an unconventional solution: Silly String. Its lightweight spray could be applied from over ten feet away, clinging to trip wires without setting off explosives. To date, over 120,000 cans of Silly String have been sent to support Marines in combat zones.
9. Buzz Lightyear
Pixar’s 1995 film Toy Story introduced Buzz Lightyear, a charismatic space ranger with a cleft chin and a larger-than-life personality. In 1996, Thinkway Toys launched the Buzz Lightyear action figure, which became a massive hit, selling over thirty-five million units. The toy’s popularity left a lasting impression, much to the occasional discomfort of parents stepping on its sharp edges.
In 2008, NASA selected a Buzz Lightyear doll to join the space shuttle Discovery as part of their education outreach program. For fifteen months, Buzz assisted in weightlessness experiments and inspired countless students. His iconic phrase, 'To infinity, and beyond!' even sparked philosophical discussions, with The American Humanist Association interpreting his journey as a metaphor for American Humanism. Additionally, his success provided Tim Allen with the financial freedom to avoid projects like Wild Hogs 2, sparing audiences further suffering.
8. View-master
In 1939, Wilhelm Gruber met Harold Graves, the head of a postcard and film development company, during a vacation. While such a business might seem destined to fail in the modern era, their ingenuity led to the creation of the View-master. This device, designed as a postcard alternative, utilized outdated stereoscope technology and became a groundbreaking invention.
The View-master made its debut at the 1939 New York World’s Fair, initially sold in stationary and gift shops with reels featuring iconic landmarks like the Grand Canyon. By 1942, the U.S. military recognized its potential for training soldiers during WWII. They acquired over 100,000 View-masters and millions of custom reels featuring images to help identify artillery and aircraft. Today, these devices are prized by collectors and veterans alike, evoking memories of a bygone era.
7. LEGO
Ole Kirk Christiansen, the founder of LEGO, built one of the world’s most iconic toy brands. The name LEGO comes from Danish words meaning 'play well.' Initially, children found his toys underwhelming, but everything changed in 1949 when he launched his vibrant interlocking plastic bricks. Interestingly, the concept was inspired by Kiddicraft’s Self-locking Bricks, which themselves were based on Minibrix. Christiansen later acquired the rights to Kiddicraft’s design, enabling him to take legal action against Tyco for copying LEGO.
While LEGO products have been used in schools since the 1950s, the company didn’t fully commit to the U.S. education market until 1980. That year, they established an educational division, introduced new product lines, and launched a comprehensive website focused on education. LEGO helps kindergartners improve fine motor skills and math abilities, elementary students master problem-solving and following instructions, and high school and community college students explore robotics. However, many community college users simply build ashtrays instead, as following instructions proves too challenging.
6. Monopoly
In 1903, Elizabeth J. Magie Phillips designed a game to illustrate Henry George’s single tax theory and critique capitalism. Initially launched as The Landlords Game in 1923, it gained widespread popularity across Europe and the U.S. before Parker Brothers rebranded it as Monopoly in 1934. Shortly after, WWII broke out, leading to the capture of tens of thousands of Allied soldiers.
The British Secret Service ingeniously used Monopoly games, concealed in Red Cross aid packages, to hide silk maps, compasses, real currency, and escape instructions for Allied prisoners in concentration camps. The Germans viewed the games as harmless entertainment, unaware of their true purpose. It’s estimated that 10,000 soldiers successfully escaped captivity thanks to these covert Monopoly sets.
5. Slinky
In 1943, Richard James, a naval engineer, was working on a device to measure horsepower on naval battleships when he accidentally dropped a prototype. To his amazement, it gracefully 'walked' from a shelf to a stack of books, then to his desk, and finally to the floor. Intrigued, he spent the next two years experimenting with various types of steel to perfect the motion, ultimately creating the iconic Slinky.
Within its first two years, Richard James’ company sold 100 million Slinkys. During the Vietnam War, U.S. communications officers found an innovative use for the toy: when radio antennas were obstructed by dense foliage or damaged in combat, they stretched Slinkys over tree branches to create improvised antennas, boosting their radios’ range. Praised for their versatility and portability, troops appreciated how quickly they could dismantle the setup and evade enemy fire. Ironically, the Slinky often received more recognition for its wartime contributions than the soldiers themselves.
4. Silly Putty
During WWII, Japan’s control over global rubber supplies severely impacted the U.S., cutting off over nine percent of its rubber imports. Amid this crisis, James Wright struggled to create a synthetic rubber substitute. In 1943, he stumbled upon a unique material that would later gain immense popularity as Silly Putty.
In 1968, Apollo 8 astronauts brought Silly Putty into lunar orbit. It proved invaluable in securing instruments and tools in zero-gravity conditions, while also alleviating the monotony of long hours in space.
3. Remote Control Car
The first commercially successful remote control cars were produced by the Italian company Elettronica Giocattoli in 1966. By the late 1970s, a global community of RC car enthusiasts had emerged. In 2011, Ernie Fessenden modified a high-powered remote control car with a wireless camera and sent it to his brother, Staff Sgt. Christopher Fessenden, who was deployed in Afghanistan.
Christopher shared the car with his unit, who used it to scout for tripwires on dangerous roads. During one mission, the car triggered a tripwire, detonating over 500 pounds of explosives and saving the lives of six soldiers. Inspired by this success, multiple military units have since adopted similar tactics, saving countless lives.
2. Cabbage Patch Kids
The Cabbage Patch Kids have contributed so much to America that they’ve more than compensated for the occasional Black Friday chaos caused by parents desperate to buy them. Created in 1978 by art student Xavier Roberts, the dolls initially sold at local craft fairs. Their popularity skyrocketed after a 1981 Newsweek feature. Roger Schlaifer then acquired global licensing rights, crafting a strange Cabbage Patch world featuring an evil old woman who attempts to enslave the dolls in her gold mine. Why does a gold mine owner need slaves?
Despite this odd backstory, Cabbage Patch Kids became one of America’s most beloved doll franchises. They were chosen as the first official mascot for the US Olympic team in 1992 and 1996. In 1999, the US Postal Service honored them as one of fifteen stamps symbolizing 1980s American life. They’ve collaborated with NASA, raised significant funds for disaster relief, and even served as ambassadors at the NATO Open House in Brussels, Belgium.
1. Mr. Potato Head
The first version of Mr. Potato Head didn’t include a body; instead, it featured detachable parts with pins designed to be inserted into an actual potato. Surprisingly, the inclusion of sharp pins appealed to parents, while children were drawn to a toy made from something they typically avoided—vegetables. In 1951, George Lerner successfully pitched the idea to a cereal company, and later, Hasbro took it on.
Over the years, Mr. Potato Head has enjoyed a remarkable public career. He was the first toy to be advertised on television. In 1985, he received four write-in votes during a mayoral election in Boise, Idaho. By 1987, he became the face of the American Cancer Society’s Great American Smokeout campaign. In 1992, he earned a special recognition from the President’s Council for Physical Fitness, and in 1996, both Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head partnered with the League of Women Voters for their Get Out to Vote initiative. Today, he serves as Rhode Island’s official travel ambassador.
