Hey Drexel peeps, I’m about to blow your mind. Here are 5 things that you probably didn’t know were invented right here in Philadelphia:
- Bubble gum
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POP! Do you remember when you first learned to blow bubbles with gum? The first-ever bubble blown from gum was in 1928, right here in the city of brotherly love. It was invented because at Fleer Chewing Gum Company, Walter E. Diemer was playing around with new gum recipes and created a formula that was less sticky and more stretchy.
Fun fact, or rather sad fact: Diemer actually didn’t receive any extra money from this invention, despite his efforts of shop-hopping to teach many clerks how to blow bubbles.
- Revolving doors
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Am I the only one who’s terrified of getting stuck in one of these? The revolving door was invented in 1888 by Theophilus van Kannel from Philadelphia. Revolving doors were invented because they are more energy-efficient than regular doors and allow more people to enter and exit buildings faster.
Rumor has it that Van Kannel invented revolving doors because he hated being chivalrous and opening doors for others, especially women. Well jokes on him, most people despise going through revolving doors anyways.
- Toilet paper roll
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We can’t imagine a life without having toilet paper rolls. And we can thank Philly for this daily necessity.
In 1890, Irvin and Clarence Scott of the Scott Paper Company of Philadelphia put toilet paper on a roll and began to individually package these rolls for sale in drugstores and pharmacies. By the 1920s, Scott Tissue became a household name that’s still used today.
- Candy corn
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The iconic Halloween candy that you either love or hate was invented right here in Philadelphia.
George Renninger of the Wunderlee Candy Company in Philadelphia was apparently the creator of the candy corn. It was mass-produced by the Goelitz Confectionery Company, which now goes by the more familiar name: Jelly Belly Company. So, next time Halloween is approaching and you turn a store corner to see 50 bags of the corn-shaped but not corn-taste candy, you might feel some city pride (in addition to some sweet tooth).
- Slinky
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You probably remember playing with a Slinky or two during your childhood. Perhaps it was the classic copper kind, or the modern rainbow plastic kind. This simple but iconic children’s toy was invented at a shipyard in Philadelphia by ACCIDENT.
In 1943, Penn State grad Richard Thompson James knocked over a bunch of spare parts and watched how a coiled spring amazingly trotted across the floor. He started diligently working on the invention and within a couple years he had sold over 200,000 units. His wife Betty came up with the name because of the sound it makes, and she eventually sold the company for a lot of money after her husband suddenly joined a religious cult and left for Bolivia, never to return…. At least she was successful, although I wish slinkys didn’t tangle so easily.
So those were 5 things that originated in Philly, did any of these surprise you?