Few People Know That Connecticut Was The Birthplace Of The Frisbee

We have a lot of really cool inventions from Connecticut. Hamburgers were allegedly created at Louis's Lunch in New Haven. The lollipop as we know it was first made in 1908, also in New Haven. The first helicopter was flown in the Nutmeg State in 1939. There's a lot of history that has been made here! But did you know that one of the coolest inventions from Connecticut was a toy known and loved all over the world, by kids, adults, and dogs alike? The world has Connecticut to thank for this famous flying disc!

Back in the 1940s, the Bridgeport-based Frisbie Pie Company sold pies to college cafeterias around the state. The pies were served up on light, circular metal tins.

College students would often toss the (empty) pie tins around at one another and called the game "Frisbie" after the pie brand.

In 1948, the first plastic version of the discs were mass-produced.

In the early years, the toys were called several different names depending on which company produced them.

"Flying Saucer" and "Pluto Platter" were two of the early iterations.

The modern Frisbee design with stabilizing ridges along the edges was established in 1967.

Within a few years, Ultimate Frisbee and disc golf would be popular activities all over the country.

Nowadays, Mattel Toy Manufacturers owns the right to Frisbee. The number of Frisbees (or off-brand flying discs) sold each year is estimated to be more than the number of combined baseballs, basketballs, and footballs combined! We'd say that's quite the success story for this toy from Connecticut.