1. Richard James
The Slinky

2. Thesis Statement
By accident, Richard James, created a toy that began a craze that has lasted decades.

3. Early Life and Education
Richard Thompson James was born on January 1, 1914.
Graduated from Westtown School, a Quaker boarding school in Cheser County, PA, in 1935.
In 1939 he graduated from The Pennsylvania Sate University with a degree in Mechanical Engineering.

4. His Invention
Richard James was trying to develop a way to suspend sensitive instruments on a naval vessel, even in rough seas.
He was working with tension springs and accidently dropped on.
He came up for the idea for a toy when he saw how the spring kept moving even after it was dropped.

5. His Invention (Cont.)
With a $500 loan, he developed a coil winding machine and started a company to mass-produce the toy called the Slinky.
His wife gave the toy the name Slinky.
Since invented in 1945, around 300 million Slinkys have been purchased

6. Impact of Slinky® The slinky was an accidental discovery/invention
Millions have been sold.
It has been used to
Demonstrate properties of waves.
Troops used them as mobile radio antennas
Zero gravity experiments for NASA
The Slinky has been a household name for over 60 years.

7. Notable Toy The Slinky Jingle:
"What walks down stairs, alone or in pairs, And makes a slinkity sound? A spring, a spring, a marvelous thing, Everyone knows it’s Slinky… It's Slinky, it's Slinky, for fun it's a wonderful toy It's Slinky, it's Slinky, it's fun for a girl and a boy
Richard James told his wife Betty, "I think I can make a toy out of this" and then spent the next two years figuring out the best steel gauge and coil to use for the toy.

8. Conclusion
The slinky may not be a life saving device or have made a social impact on the world but it did make many children across the world happy. When something created from an accident can go on and sell millions, become a household name and stay around for as long as it has, it has clearly made an impact on popular culture.

9. Sources http://inventors.about.com/od/sstartinventions/a/slinky.htm