Do you know the stories behind these American products?
If there’s a thing we can say for sure about the US, it’s that this is the place where some of the most legendary products were born. In the long history of American products, we can find cultural icons and household staples that we can’t imagine the world without.
These products might now be integral parts of our daily lives, but many of them have some bizarre backstories, and most people have no idea about this. But it’s time to change this, so get ready to discover the fascinating tales of innovation, perseverance, and a bit of luck that brought these iconic products to life.
Whether it’s a household name or a surprising invention, each of these products has a unique journey, and being aware of it is somehow a way to pay respect to those who brought these amazing things into our lives.
Here are some of the craziest origin stories of some of the most popular American products!
1. Gatorade
Of all American products, this is the iconic sports drink that everybody loves and buys. It appeared in 1965 at the University of Florida when a team of medical researchers led by Dr. Robert Cade was trying to meet the request from the university’s football coach.
Ray Graves, the coach, was looking for a solution for the dehydration and nutrient loss his players experienced during games. At first, the formula was made out of water, sodium, sugar, potassium, phosphate, and lemon juice and was intended to replenish the electrolytes and fluids that are lost when sweating.
Unfortunately, the first formula tasted so bad, and it was so salty that it was basically undrinkable. Hopefully, they added more lemon juice, and it became more palatable. Surprising or not, the drink was a real success, and the Florida Gators’ had their first Orange Bowl victory in 1967.
Later, in 1970, the Kansas City Chiefs had an unexpected Super Bowl victory, and that was the real turning point for Gatorade. They consumed the drink the whole season, and this is how it got its reputation as a performance-enhancing drink.
At first, the University of Florida refused to approve the proposal to market this one of the iconic American products, but in the end, Cade managed to negotiate with a food manufacturer to mass-produce Gatorade, and for this, he invested his own money.
2. Domino’s Pizza
We can’t talk about American products without mentioning the history of Domino’s Pizza. Now, this is a global empire, but before this, we have to admit it had a humble beginning. 1960, Ypsilanti, Michigan. Here, two brothers, Tom and James Monaghan, bought a small pizza shop for $1400.
But this was not any shop. The brothers had a strategy in mind. The shop was located near Eastern Michigan University, and they planned to take advantage of the college crowd, offering pizza deliveries late at night, which was a rarity during those times.
Unfortunately, the partnership didn’t work out, and James Monaghan decided to remain at his office job. He traded his share of the business to Tom for a Volkswagen Beetle that they had been using for pizza deliveries.
Now Tom was the sole owner, but this was not a problem. He managed to expand the business to three stores by 1965, and he decided that all of the locations should have the same name to maintain uniformity.
The original owner of DomiNick’s refused to grant him the rights to the name, and as a result, he was forced to rebrand his stores. He chose the name “Domino’s.” This name was inspired by the three dots we can see on a domino piece, and they represent the three initial stores.
In 1967, the first Domino’s franchise was opened, and the business only kept on expanding. Within a decade, Domino’s had grown to 200 locations, and by 2016, Domino’s had over 11,000 locations across 73 countries. How do you feel about this, James?
In 1998, Tom Monaghan decided to sell 93% of the company to Bain Capital for over $1 billion, and now this pizza store is known worldwide and is synonymous with pizza delivery.
3. Monopoly
Yes, Monopoly is one of the most popular American products, and it has an interesting and weird origin story that stretches back to the early twentieth century.
It all started in 1903 with “The Landlord’s Game,” which is a board game created by Lizzie Magie. This game was intended to show the darker side of concentrating land in private monopolies.
Magie approached Parker Brothers and was hoping to get her game mass-produced, but her request was turned down. The game gained popularity in the circles of left-leaning intellectuals and members of the Quaker community.
In this community, Charles Darrow, who was an unemployed salesman from Atlantic City, heard about the game. He believed that the game had an amazing idea, so he changed some elements and made his own version, today known as Monopoly. After this, he began selling the game.
In 1934, Darrow attempted to pitch Monopoly to the Parker Brothers, but they initially rejected it. As a result, he continued to sell the game independently in various department stores in Philadelphia, and as you would expect, it had become incredibly popular.
When they saw the success of this board game, the Parker Brothers reached out to Darrow and agreed to purchase the rights. By 1935, Monopoly was such a hit that Parker Brothers were selling 20,000 sets a week!
To avoid legal challenges, the Parker Brothers bought up patents from others who had created similar games, including Lizzie Magie.
4. The Slinky
We have a lot of amazing American products, but the Slinky is by far one of America’s most iconic toys, and it was born in 1943 from an accident.
Richard James, a mechanical engineer working at a shipbuilding company, was trying to find a way to stabilize sensitive instruments on ships, and because of this, he was experimenting with springs.
At some point, he accidentally knocked a spring off a shelf, and he was surprised to notice that it didn’t just fall. Instead, it “walked” down, and James was intrigued by this movement. He decided to experiment, and in the end, he created a prototype that was “walking” on its own, flipping end over end.
His wife was the one who came up with the name “Slinky,” and in November 1945, the Jameses decided to show their new toy at Gimbels Department Store in Philadelphia. People loved it, and in less than 90 minutes they bought over 400 Slinkys! That’s how the couple decided to found their own company and mass-produce the toy.
However, Richard’s involvement with a religious sect led him to abandon the business and move to Bolivia in 1960, leaving Betty to take care of the company on her own.
Do you know the stories of other American products and what to share them with us? Tell us more in the comments!
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