Origins of Silly Putty

In 1943, engineer James Wright mixed boric acid and silicone oil at General Electric in New Haven, Connecticut, in an attempt to create a synthetic rubber substitute for the American military. The resulting substance had unusual mechanical properties, bouncing when thrown against a wall and stretching like chewing gum when pulled slowly, yet breaking cleanly when struck sharply.

Patents and Legal Developments

A patent for a similar mixture was filed by Earl Warrick and Rob Roy McGregor at Dow Corning in March 1943, titled "Treating Dimethyl Silicone Polymer with Boric Oxide," and granted in 1947 under the number US 2 431 878. Wright eventually obtained his own patent in 1951, under the number 2 541 851, for his bouncing putty.

Early Commercial Use

The material remained largely unused until 1949, when Ruth Fallgatter, owner of a toy store in New Haven called The Block Shop, sold the substance for $2 per unit, with it outperforming all her other products except for a box of Crayola crayons. Peter Hodgson, an advertiser, then purchased a batch of the substance directly from General Electric and negotiated production rights.

Marketing and Popularity

He renamed it Silly Putty and began selling it in plastic eggs starting in 1950. Sales exploded after an article in The New Yorker mentioned the toy in August 1950. Silly Putty became a commercial success, with over 300 million units sold worldwide since 1950, and approximately 4,100 tons of silicone paste sold.

Challenges and Continued Success

The Korean War caused a temporary setback in production due to the rationing of silicone, a strategic raw material, in 1951, but production resumed the following year. In the 1970s, annual revenue exceeded $5 million. The toy was used by astronauts of Apollo 8 to fix tools in zero gravity.

Modern Status and Legacy

In July 2009, approximately 20,000 units were sold daily worldwide. Silly Putty was inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame in May 2001.