America's love affair with the hula hoop

The craze started in 1958 when Richard Knerr (right) and Arthur Melin sought a trademark for a thin plastic version of a bamboo ring used by Australian children in gym classes. The men, who founded the Wham-O toy company in 1948 in California, called their new toy the Hula Hoop after the Hawaiian dance.
The craze started in 1958 when Richard Knerr (right) and Arthur Melin sought a trademark for a thin plastic version of a bamboo ring used by Australian children in gym classes. The men, who founded the Wham-O toy company in 1948 in California, called their new toy the Hula Hoop after the Hawaiian dance.
(Photo courtesy of Wham-O inc.)