Frisbee Frenzy

The story of the Frisbee had humble beginnings in Bridgeport, Connecticut, where William Frisbie opened the Frisbie Pie Company in 1871. Kids would tosh the pie tins around (without pie filling, of course) but their flight could not be controlled. In 1948, Walter Frederick Morrison and Warren Franscioni invented a plastic version of the disc called the "Flying Saucer” that could fly further and more accurately than the tin pie plates. After going their separate ways, Morrison began marketing a plastic flying disc called the "Pluto Platter" in 1955. The name was an attempt to cash in on the public craze over UFOs. He sold the design to Wham-O in 1957. By 1959 Wham-O marketed a slightly modified version, and renamed it the "Frisbee." It was a huge success and a college campus necessity by the mid-1960s. Wham-O sold over 1 million in the first year. 

Pluto Platter. Just Call It a Frisbee.

Headquartered in Emeryville, California, since 1948, Wham-O, Inc. has provided children and adults with innovative, imaginative toys that spark creativity, encourage social interaction and get kids playing. The Wham-O name was meant to evoke the sound of a slingshot when it connected with a target. Wham-O continually redefines the concept of fun by remaining simple, uncomplicated and without age boundaries. In 1958, Wham-O introduced the Hula Hoop, which became a national phenomenon.

But first came the Frisbee in 1957, thanks to a California carpenter, Fred Morrison (above), who obtained a patent in 1955 for his plastic throwing discs he called Pluto Platters and cashing in on the martian craze at the time. He sold the rights to Wham-O and within the year, they had sold a million discs. In 1958 Wham-O enhanced the design of the disc and renamed it Frisbee---the origins of the name are immersed in mythology---though the Pluto Platter name remained on the disc for some time after. The Frisbee proved an enduring favorite, and eventually Wham-O marketed and promoted the toy, creating a Frisbee sport and then sanctioning national competitions by the 1960s. Frisbee sports grew so popular that by 1974 the World Frisbee Disc Championships were held in the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. Many manufacturers have since produced their own versions of the "flying saucers" yet most are colloquially referred to as a frisbee.