Amidst the chaos of World War II, naval engineer Richard James was given a fateful assignment. In 1943, a torsion spring ripped loose from the internal workings of a ship he was assigned to repair. The torsion spring, a series of tight metal coils used commonly in mechanics, bounced back and forth on the floor in a whimsical pattern. The playful fashion in which it sprung along the floor suggested to him a possible business opportunity. In 1945, James designed a machine to mass-produce torsion springs as children’s toys called “the slinky.”

James and his wife borrowed $500 to start James Spring and Wire Company, which produced 80-foot slinkies made of Swedish wire. The slinky was unveiled at Gimbel’s Department Store in Philadelphia at a Christmas fair in 1945. Four hundred slinkies were bought within the first hour and a half they were on sale. As the slinky gained popularity, James patented his toy on August 21, 1946, a year after going into business.

The James Spring and Wire Company changed its name in 1956 to James Industries, which continues to produce slinkies today and has sold 500 million as of this year. The company continues to follow the instructions outlined by US Patent #2,415,012, the original model, and has been met with tremendous success.

However, Richard James was not so lucky. In the 1960s, James joined a Bolivian cult and disappeared. He is thought to have died in 1974. His wife, Betty James, took over James Industries and moved it Hollidaysburg, PA where it is headquartered today. She added several new slinky models to the line including Jr. Slinky, Slinky Pets and Neon Slinky. She sold the company to Poof Toys in 1998 and died in 2008, after being inducted into the Toy Industry Hall of Fame in 2001.