Blue plastic toy, known as a Slinky.
The Slinky was invented in 1943 by Richard James, a navy engineer from America. Whilst working on a device to help ease rough journeys on battleships, James noticed that the coiled springs he was experimenting with would "walk" end over end when knocked over.
Given the name Slinky (meaning stealthy, sleek and sinuous) by his wife, Betty, James first sold the new toy in 1946. It was an immediate success and over a quarter of a billion have since been sold worldwide.
The original Slinky was made in metal and is still produced in Pennsylvania, using the same machines specially created by Richard James almost 60 years ago.
