The idea had been around for years. It all started in the late 1800s, at the Frisbie Pie Company, in Bridgeport, Connecticut.Their pies were packaged in tins. College Students, after eating the pie, would often throw the empty tins to each other. It became a fun tradition in that area. In 1948, Walter Morrison along with his partner, Warren Franscioni, came up with a plastic disc, they called the "Flying Saucer." Their invention, could fly much further and more accurately than any pie tin.

The partnership, between the two men, eventually came to an end. Morrison, acting on his own came up with an improved model in 1955. He named it, "The Pluto Platter." His timing couldn't have been any better, because Americans were fascinated at the time with space and UFO's.

Morrison couldn't keep up with demand on his own, so he sold his company to the Wham-O Toy Company. Yes the same company that had cashed in on 1950's fads like, the Hula-Hoop, and the Super Ball. Beginning January 23, 1957, they started mass producing their new product under the name, the Frisbee disc: (note the new spelling.)

In 1967, a patented design, featuring a band of raised ridges on the surface of the disc and a curved lip making it more stable, was introduced. This became the Frisbee as we know it today. By 1977, thanks to things like Frisbee Golf, Wham-O had sold over 100 million units world-wide.

Today, the official Frisbee is owned by Mattel Toy Manufactures and has been since 1994.

Woman plays with her dog
Credit: oneinchpunch, ThinkStock
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Over the years humans, as well as dogs, have come to love spending time with this invention, that all started with a pie tin.

 

 

 

 

 

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