Question: How was the Slinky invented?
Answer: The Slinky came about by accident. In 1943, mechanical engineer Richard James was building a device that the Navy could use to secure equipment on ships while they rocked at sea. He dropped the coiled wires he was tinkering with on the ground and watched them tumble end-over-end across the floor. And then he had a thought: perhaps this would make a good toy. He and his wife scoured the dictionary for a fitting name, landing on “slinky,” which means “sleek and sinuous in movement or outline.” Together, with a $500 loan, they co-founded James Industries in 1945, the year the Slinky hit store shelves.
