Toys/Inventions Of the 1950’s

By: Ryan Consoletti

The Hula Hoop was invented in 1958 by Richard P. Knarr. The Hula Hoop didn’t become popular until the 1960’s when it began being used in circuses. They were only 28 inches in diameter.

The Hula hoop

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The Credit card was made in 1950 by Ralph Schneider. The first credit card was named the Diners Club Card. Diner cards would pay the restaurant and the card holder would pay the credit card company. American Express created their first in 1958.

Credit card

http://www.google.com/imgres?q=diner+club+card+1950&hl=en&safe=active&gbv=2&tbm=isch&tbnid=__Igw7XADbFmQM:&imgrefurl=http://fifties1950s.com/1950gadgets.htm&docid=-JhXnUthLYfI4M&imgurl=http://fifties1950s.com/1950/dinersclub.jpg&w=255&h=165&ei=ureFT7_WDMLl0QHV5LWzBw&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=695&vpy=174&dur=4161&hovh=132&hovw=204&tx=168&ty=78&sig=112149703453485945570&page=1&tbnh=106&tbnw=164&start=0&ndsp=20&ved=1t:429,r:3,s:0,i:75&biw=1280&bih=632

It was invented in 1952 by George Lerner from New York City. He sold it to Hasbro Inc. to sell, which they did, but with a Styrofoam head as a base for the facial plug ins. Mr. Potato Head was the first toy to be advertised on television!

Mr. Potato Head

http://www.google.com/imgres?q=1950%27s+mr.+potato+head&hl=en&safe=active&biw=1280&bih=632&gbv=2&tbm=isch&tbnid=usZgj10jn0MZKM:&imgrefurl=http://littlepeoplemeetmrpotatohead.com/MrPotatoHeadsroots.htm&docid=iv80dVbc6fIApM&imgurl=http://littlepeoplemeetmrpotatohead.com/0096a1.jpg&w=414&h=480&ei=ROWFT6-fLZOw8ASg8ZWoCA&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=447&vpy=73&dur=406&hovh=219&hovw=191&tx=114&ty=153&sig=112149703453485945570&page=1&tbnh=135&tbnw=129&start=0&ndsp=20&ved=1t:429,r:2,s:0,i:73

In 1954 three American researchers, Gerald Pearson, Calvin fuller, and Daryl Chapin created a solar cell that could collect 6% sunlight in direct sunlight. They made silicon strips the size of razor blades and laid them in the sun to see what happen, turns out they absorbed sunlight! First put on trial on October 4, 1955.

Solar cells (solar panels)

http://www.google.com/imgres?q=Solar+cells+1950&hl=en&safe=active&gbv=2&biw=1280&bih=632&tbm=isch&tbnid=mWXBq_pqO-mYTM:&imgrefurl=http://theinvisibleagent.wordpress.com/2011/05/11/bell-solar-panel-technology-of-the-1950s/&docid=F-o1SmH4hVTHDM&imgurl=http://theinvisibleagent.files.wordpress.com/2011/05/early-bell-labs-commercial-solar-panel.jpg&w=380&h=418&ei=E-mFT5XDOIOy8ASo4_CgCA&zoom=1&iact=rc&dur=222&sig=112149703453485945570&page=1&tbnh=138&tbnw=128&start=0&ndsp=18&ved=1t:429,r:0,s:0,i:67&tx=95&ty=88

The hovercraft was created in 1956 by Christopher Cockerell. He used very practical designs for the first hovercraft that was produced commercially, the SRN1. He wanted to have a vehicle that could travel across water, reducing friction, which increases speed while traveling in water!

The hovercraft (in 1956???)

http://www.google.com/imgres?q=1950%27s+hovercraft&hl=en&safe=active&gbv=2&biw=1277&bih=632&tbm=isch&tbnid=QP5dk38tuC3bbM:&imgrefurl=http://links999.net/hovercraft/hovercraft_history.html&docid=dEM9oyUgAn1vvM&imgurl=http://links999.net/hovercraft/images/thorny1.gif&w=609&h=398&ei=S-yFT8DUBoWk8QTr9NCgCA&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=116&vpy=155&dur=2404&hovh=181&hovw=278&tx=178&ty=120&sig=112149703453485945570&page=1&tbnh=133&tbnw=189&start=0&ndsp=16&ved=1t:429,r:0,s:0,i:67

Liquid paper was created in 1956 by Bette Nesmith Graham. She made it by putting tempera water based paint, colored to match her stationary she used in a bottle and took her watercolor brush to her work place, she used this to correct her typing mistakes. She then started a business called mistake out, She made little money off of it though.

“liquid paper” (white out)

http://www.google.com/imgres?q=1950%27s+liquid+paper&hl=en&safe=active&gbv=2&biw=1277&bih=632&tbm=isch&tbnid=3gxlxVkyYR6C5M:&imgrefurl=http://luvtanya.blogspot.com/2011/03/top-10-things-by-women-inventors.html&docid=UghEnm3ckr_o9M&imgurl=http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KHekQF0mcoY/TZFoRP_KlTI/AAAAAAAABFY/bAp8ViVEqwg/s320/liquid_paper.jpg&w=240&h=320&ei=M--FT4PvKImm9ATx6dTJCA&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=358&vpy=265&dur=1985&hovh=256&hovw=192&tx=106&ty=123&sig=112149703453485945570&page=1&tbnh=128&tbnw=136&start=0&ndsp=23&ved=1t:429,r:10,s:0,i:88

The pacemaker was created in 1959 by John Hoops. He discovered the pacemaker could make the heart start beating again with electrical and mechanical means. It was far to large to fit inside a human body, so he then turned it into an external pacemaker, being the worlds first.

External Pacemaker

http://www.google.com/imgres?q=1950%27s+external+pacemaker&hl=en&safe=active&gbv=2&biw=1277&bih=632&tbm=isch&tbnid=f93ZeptrORcF2M:&imgrefurl=http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2007/08/29/patientreturns&docid=2CVUe-wdkdjwmM&imgurl=http://images.publicradio.org/content/2007/08/30/20070830_pacemaker_2.jpg&w=300&h=225&ei=VvGFT5CSFpSi8QSszqCnCA&zoom=1&iact=rc&dur=353&sig=112149703453485945570&page=1&tbnh=136&tbnw=182&start=0&ndsp=18&ved=1t:429,r:11,s:0,i:90&tx=84&ty=107

The Barbie doll was invented in 1959 by Ruth Handler. The doll was named after her child Barbara. It was introduced to the world at the American Toy Fair in New York City. Barbie's job was teenage fashion doll, the first Barbie cost $3.

Barbie doll

http://www.google.com/imgres?q=1950%27s+barbie&hl=en&safe=active&gbv=2&biw=1277&bih=632&tbm=isch&tbnid=7ONxYFInWqaUAM:&imgrefurl=http://smithje3.wordpress.com/culture-site/cultural-impact-of-barbie/&docid=Cm_NmgWMnrldwM&imgurl=http://smithje3.files.wordpress.com/2008/02/barbie.gif%253Fw%253D495&w=240&h=320&ei=-PKFT4uyNoeu8QTqmKiXCA&zoom=1&iact=rc&dur=538&sig=112149703453485945570&page=1&tbnh=134&tbnw=100&start=0&ndsp=23&ved=1t:429,r:3,s:0,i:73&tx=69&ty=74

1) "Connect With ChaCha:." When Did the Hula Hoop Come Out? Web. 10 Apr. 2012. http://www.chacha.com/question/when-did-the-hula-hoop-come- out.

2) "20th Century Timeline 1900 - 1999." About.com Inventors. Web. 10 Apr. 2012. <http://inventors.about.com/od/timelines/a/modern.htm>.

3) "Who Invented Credit Cards?" About.com Inventors. Web. 11 Apr. 2012. <http://inventors.about.com/od/cstartinventions/a/credit_cards.htm>.

4) "Mr Potato Head." About.com Inventors. Web. 11 Apr. 2012. <http://inventors.about.com/od/pstartinventions/a/PotatoHead.htm>.

5) "Definition of a Solar Cell - History of Solar Cells." About.com Inventors. Web. 11 Apr. 2012. <http://inventors.about.com/od/sstartinventions/a/solar_cell.htm>.

6) "The History of the Hovercraft - Christopher Cockerell." Inventors. Web. 11 Apr. 2012. <http://inventors.about.com/library/inventors/blhovercraft.htm>.

7) "Liquid Paper - Bette Nesmith Graham (1922-1980)." About.com Inventors. Web. 11 Apr. 2012. <http://inventors.about.com/od/lstartinventions/a/liquid_paper.htm>.

8) "Invention of the Cardiac Pacemaker - Artificial Hearts - Electrocardiography." Inventors. Web. 11 Apr. 2012. <http://inventors.about.com/library/inventors/blcardiac.htm>.

9) "The History of Barbie Dolls." About.com Inventors. Web. 11 Apr. 2012. <http://inventors.about.com/od/bstartinventions/a/The-History-Of-Barbie-Dolls.htm>.

Sources!