- [Narrator] Silly string, that bright, fun,
party in an aerosol can, was actually invented by mistake.
Believe it or not, it was supposed to
help heal your broken bones.
In 1972, Leonard A. Fish, an inventor,
and Robert P. Cox, a chemist, were granted
a U.S. patent for a foamable resinous composition.
The two initially set out to create an aerosol can
that could spray an instant cast on a broken leg or arm,
and the invention worked,
but when it came to packaging their discovery,
they tested 500 different types of nozzles.
Through their tests, Fish came upon one
that produced a string, a string
that shot 30 feet across the room.
Inspired, they decided to turn
their instant cast into a toy.
After altering their formula to produce
a more colorful, less sticky string,
the pair set out to market their product.
Neither of them knew the first thing about selling toys,
so they made an appointment with Wham-O in California.
But, the meeting didn't go exactly as planned.
Fish and Cox sprayed the string all over the office,
including on the person they were meeting with,
and unsurprisingly--
- [Woman] Get out!
- They were asked to leave the premises.
Just one day later, Fish receives a telegram from Wham-O
asking him to send 24 cans for a market test.
Turns out that a trace of the silly string
was left on a lamp shade in the office
and was later spotted by Wham-O's owners,
who themselves demanded a market test immediately.
Two weeks later, Wham-O signed a contract
to license the product now known as silly string.
(whimsical music)