How a dropped spring accidentally created a global toy

Slinky was invented when a naval engineer accidentally dropped a spring. In the 1940s, engineer Richard James was working on equipment designed to stabilize sensitive instruments on ships. While experimenting with tension springs, one fell from a shelf. Instead of landing in a pile, the spring began to "walk" across the floor step by step. James immediately saw potential. The strange movement was mesmerizing. He and his wife Betty decided to turn the spring into a toy. They named it Slinky. At first, toy stores were unsure if anyone would buy it. But during a demonstration in a department store, children gathered instantly. Within minutes, Hundreds of Slinkys were sold. The simple toy went on to become a global bestseller. Richard James didn't set out to design a toy. Sometimes innovation begins when curiosity turns a small accident into something people can't stop playing with.