History of the Frisbee Timeline
College students started the flying disc fad by tossing pie tins to each other. By the late-50s, Frisbees were officially trademarked by Wham-O Toys and became popular for all ages.
Who Invented Frisbees? The History of The Flying Disc
People love to have something to play with, and no matter what their age, nothing is more fun than tossing a Frisbee. It's a must-have for college campuses, disc golf tournaments, and playing fetch with your dog.
The Frisbee has been a thing since ancient Greece. Let's get into its history and talk a little bit about pie tins along the way!
This inexpensive and simple genius of a toy has become as all-American as baseball and hot dogs. Throwing a Frisbee is a natural and spontaneous joy.
–Victor A. Malafronte , World Frisbee Champion and author of The Complete Book of Frisbee
1871
http://www.museumofplay.orgThe Frisbie Pie Company served their delicious slices in these aluminum tins. The pies were well-loved by Yale students as they could be both study snacks and a fun way to spend time on campus.
1947
https://atomicscout.wordpress.comWalter "Fred" Morrison and his business partner Warren Franscioni sold "Flyin-Saucers" at beaches, parks, and community fairs. Woolworth's was one of the first retail stores to sell the product at only $1 each.
1950
worthpoint.comMorrison and Franscioni attempted to boost sales by printing characters from the "Little Abner" comic strip on their flying discs. Eventually the comic's creator sued their company for violating the agreement.
1953
Source: https://atomicscout.wordpress.comBill Robes brought competition to the marketplace with Space Saucers. These flying discs didn't dent as easily or cut up hands when they were tossed through the air.
1957
Dennis McLellan, The Los Angeles Times, February 2010Wham-O acquired the rights to Morrison's invention and changed the name to "Frisbee." It didn't take long for these flying discs to become huge hits, making well over $100 million in their lifetime.
1964
Source: atomicscout.wordpress.comEd Headrick, an employee at Wham-O, unleashed a new disc with grooves at the top that were referred to as Rings of Headrick. These Frisbees were the first professional models as they improved stability and speed.
1968
Source: time.comJoel Silver and his high school friends started playing Ultimate Frisbee in a parking lot. Five years later, it became an official sport that has since been played in colleges around the country.
1975
Source: vintagefrisbees.wordpress.comWham-O jumped on the glow-in-the-dark trend with their Fastback Frisbee. At this point, Frisbees were flying off the shelves meaning this was an extra popular gift.
1976
Source: snowbasin.comDisc golf was invented by Ed Headrick, the same man who added ridges to the Frisbee. This sport is a lot less athletically intense than Ultimate Frisbee.
1980s
Source: https://www.etsy.comOnce Frisbee had been established as a sport, popular characters like Mickey Mouse and Spider-Man started showing up on the exterior. This was a great way to promote their shows and movies.
1980s
Source: wrightlife.comAs the Frisbee fad was in full gear, many bands began to advertise with these popular toys. The Grateful Dead and Led Zeppelin were a couple that got additional exposure with customized Frisbees.
1980s
Source: picclick.co.ukCompanies took notice of how popular Frisbees were with all age groups. Good Year, Oreo, McDonald's, Coca-Cola, and many others offered flying discs to promote their respective brands.
1980s
Source: qualitylogoproducts.comFlying discs were crafted from materials other than hard plastic. Polyester became popular as it was easy to fold, had a high tenacity, and was waterproof for the pool and rainy days.
1994
Source: amazon.comWham-O Toys was bought out from Mattel, allowing other companies to create Frisbees. Today, an estimated 60 manufacturers exist in the United States.
2000s
Source: niteize.comLED Frisbees emerged as a popular way to host games in the dark. These discs use light-emitting diodes that create a flashy spectacle in the night sky!
2006
Source: http://www.technovelgy.comThe U.S. military reportedly worked on 3D Frisbees that functioned as surveillance cameras. These lethal flyers were meant to detect enemies and fire from upper story locations.
2014
Source: https://artsandactivities.com/High school students used graphic design software, like Adobe Illustrator and QuarkXPress, to create designs on Frisbees for a class project. This shows how updated technology is still used on classic objects.
2018
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/Todd Richards, a signed free agent for the San Francisco 49ers, revived the Wham-O name. The new company is located in California and employees have "Frisbee Fridays" in the parking lot.
2018
Source: http://frisbeeborders.nl/Germany hosted the Disc Dog Challenge, which featured a number of canines catching Frisbees. Around 60 participants from seven different countries competed in the event.
Ashley Whippet is a world famous Frisbee-catching dog who has ice cream shops named after her in Connecticut.
Source: https://onartandaesthetics.com/What Are Discuses?
A discus is a heavy disc thrown for sport by ancient Greeks. These discs were made of unwrought bronze and iron and weighed roughly five pounds. They were created by pouring molten metal into sand.
Greek poet Homer first mentioned throwing a discus in The Iliad around 700 BC. Close to 100 years later, discus throwing became part of the first Olympic Games in Athens.
Source: https://onartandaesthetics.comThose Greeks who were great at throwing discuses were thought of as having godlike powers. For example, the iconic statue pictured here is known as Discobolus. It was crafted from bronze and shows the glory man can achieve with a good disc toss.
Throughout time, many other games were developed that used flying discs similar to discuses. These games include:
Disc and Cross that was developed in France in the 14th century.
Quoits, which was the earliest version of horseshoes.
Hoop and Spear, a game played in Native American villages.
To this day, discus and some of the sports that followed are still played around the world!
The longest discus toss on record was performed by Phayllos of Croton, a Greek athlete and naval commander.
When Was the Frisbee Invented?
Before there was an official Frisbee, people would spend their days tossing pie tins, cookie lids, or cake pans to one another. William R. Frisbie gave these discs their name in 1871 when he started the Frisbie Pie Company.
Frisbees may have never taken off if it weren't for the Frisbee Pie Company. This bakery was a mere 25-minute drive from Yale, and the students would bring their pies back to campus. Students would play catch with the tins after finishing their slices of pecan pie or lemon meringue. The entire campus could hear them yelling "Frisbie!" as a heads-up call to those passing by, similar to the "Fore!" you hear from golfers.
https://www.museumofplay.org/Who would have thought avoiding study time by tossing a pie tin around would create an entirely new pastime? The Frisbee may never have been created if it wasn't for college students and their love of pie.
https://www.museumofplay.org/Ed Headrick asked for his ashes to be turned into plastic flying discs so that he could end up as the "Frisbee that accidentally lands on someone's roof." Upon his death, his family was exploring ways to honor that wish.
Who Invented the Frisbee?
Walter "Fred" Morrison and his future wife Lucille threw a cake pan tin around during a Thanksgiving gathering. Shortly after, they were inspired by this idea and went on to create the first official Frisbee in 1947.
Source: Michael Liedtke, The News Journal, Delaware, June 17, 2007At the time, the Frisbee wasn't yet known as a "Frisbee." Walter and Lucille marketed them as "Flyin' Cake Pans" and sold them on the beaches of Santa Monica, California. The cake pans cost only 5 cents, but beach goers were willing to shell out a quarter to be entertained by these high-flyers.
Source: Michael Liedtke, The News Journal, Delaware, June 17, 2007Disc play is good exercise. It's fun, can be easy or challenging, and doesn't cost much. Best of all, it's a sport you can enjoy with your favorite dog.
– Charlotte Foltz Jones, author of Mistakes That Worked
When Did Frisbee Become Popular?
In the 1950s and 60s, Frisbees became super popular. Wham-O Toys stumbled upon Walter Morrison's flying discs and made an offer to take over his invention.
Morrison handed over all his rights to his invention in exchange for quarterly checks. From there, Wham-O was free to do as they pleased with the flying discs, including marketing them under a new name: the Frisbee.
Before Wham-O was bought out by Mattel they had reached over $100 million in sales and sold an estimated 300 million discs.
Check out this video, which shows an early ad for Wham-O's Frisbee!
When Was Ultimate Frisbee Invented?
In 1967, a high school student in Maplewood, New Jersey named Joel Silver organized the first Ultimate Frisbee team. They challenged the student council to a game in the parking lot. From there, students worked on fine-tuning their game and created an official rulebook.
Five years later, Ultimate Frisbee was recognized around the world. The first college game ever played took place between Rutgers and Princeton on November 6, 1972. Today, the sport is still growing and becoming more popular. In fact, Ultimate Frisbee was recognized by the Olympic committee in 2015.
Frisbee enthusiasts seem to be of two kinds: those who play with the disc just for pleasure and those who create competitive games, organize teams, and compete for championships at festivals and tournaments.
– Richard F. Bauerle, , author of The Origin of Frisbee and Related Words
Frisbees outsell baseballs, basketballs, and footballs combined.
How Companies Advertised with Frisbees
Frisbees were all the rage by the mid-1970s and companies took notice. These flying discs were the perfect way to advertise since everyone loved them and they brought excitement to events.
Popular brands like Coca-Cola, Budweiser, and Frosted Flakes printed their logo on custom Frisbees. These were often used or given away at Ultimate Frisbee competitions. The winning team would receive a commemorative Frisbee to take home with them as a souvenir of the event. The disc would be printed with the sponsoring company's logo.
Source: http://www.marvinsflyingdisccollection.com/wham-o.htmlThe Frisbee was inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame in 1998.
Stats for Success
If you plan on giving away something for free, 39% of people prefer it to be an entertaining item like a Frisbee.
44% of companies order Frisbees with their logo for their picnics.
There are 700 disc golf courses in 15 countries across the world.
The Bottom Line
Everybody loves a good Frisbee. Your kids play with it at the park, adults compete in tournaments, even your dog likes catching one during a game of fetch. There's really no better way to send your spirits soaring!
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Winner, T. (2018, January 5). A Flick of the Wrist: Flying Discs and Frisbees. Retrieved June 6, 2018, from https://www.museumofplay.org/blog/a-flick-of-the-wrist-flying-discs-and-frisbees/
New England Historical Society. (2018). The Sweet New England History of the Frisbee. Retrieved June 6, 2018, from https://newenglandhistoricalsociety.com/the-sweet-new-england-history-of-the-frisbee/
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Connecticut History. (2018). A Pie Tin's Soaring Sales. Retrieved June 6, 2018, from https://connecticuthistory.org/a-pie-tins-soaring-sales/
Griggs, G. (2009, July 10). The Origins and Development of Ultimate Frisbee. The Sport Journal: University of Wolverhampton, U.K.
Keohane, J. (2018, March). One Hell of a Comeback. Retrieved June 7, 2018, from Entrepreneur.com.
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