Electric Toaster
Toasters were first discovered in England and were used to keep bread from going stale quickly. Bakeries would toast one side of the bread before selling it to customers, which would increase the bread's lifespan a few days. Inventors in America decided to make a toaster that would automatically turn off when finished and could easily be stored on consumers' countertops. Charles Strife invented the first electric toaster that toasted individual slices. Sales of the machine tripled during the first fews years, and soon almost every American household possessed their very own pop-up toaster. Perhaps the most popular pop-up toaster modeled after Strife's invention was the Sunbeam T-20. The longevity of the Sunbeam and compact size was very appealing to urban customers especially. The invention of the toaster has inspired many kitchen gadgets of the present day including the toaster oven and the panini press.
Yo Yo's
D.F. Duncan is responsible for promoting the yo-yo in America. The actual play toy concept had been around for centuries and is thought to have originated from the ancient Greeks. It was also used as a weapon by the Philippines over 400 years ago. The first American toy yo-yo was published and advertised by William Randolf Hearst. After its announcement, millions of children wanted one. Factories in Luck, Wisconsin began producing the toys at amazing rates: 3,600 in under an hour. Today, yo-yo'ing has gone out of style and sales have gone down. However, the toy is still considered a beloved classic by many.
Marbles
Another newly advertised toy in America was marbles. Marbles were first used in ancient Egypt. European countries such as Great Britain and Germany picked up the pastime, and began making and playing with marbles made of china, stone, and glass. A German glass blower invented the modern marble we have today and allowed the manufacturing speed of marbles to increase dramatically to support the American market demand. Lots of methods of decoration for marbles were invented such as the cat's eye method, the swirl method, and the baking method. The baking method was concocted in America and involved baking the marbles for a long period of time to get a cracked effect. Kids would make up games to play in the streets and at home for hours of fun. Marbles were also fun for children to collect and trade. Today, marbles are not nearly as popular as they were in the 1940s, but are still considered a collector's item and the classic child's pastime.
Bikinis
The bikini was invented by a French fashion artist and first featured in Esquire magazine. The invention came as a total shock to the public: America had only seen show girls and movie stars in such attire. Many religious organizations shunned the outfit, and some beaches even banned them. However, as time wore on, the bathing suit became to be embraced by younger females. Nylon and latex were used to make the suits more stretchy, durable, and waterproof. The industry exploded after the government called for a 10% ration on clothing materials. Soon beaches boomed with the two-peice bathing suits. Dior was a majorly popular manufacturer of the suit because of the feminine style of their designs. Today, the bikini is the most popular swimsuit style worn by all ages, shapes, and sizes.