The mystery is solved!
The National Toy Hall of Fame has announced its 2017 inductees, and we have to say: they are indeed a bundle of fun ... even if one requires that you solve a murder to play it.
The three classic toys inducted this year are the paper airplane, the Wiffle ball and the board game Clue, and were chosen from 12 finalists that also included Magic 8 Ball, Matchbox Cars, My Little Pony, PEZ Candy Dispenser, play food, Risk, sand, Transformers, and Uno, according to representatives from The Strong National Museum of Play.
Where the paper airplane came from exactly is hard to trace, but inventor and artist Leonardo da Vinci was drawing flying creations as far back as the 15th century. The Museum suggests that his ideas, plus the Wright Brothers finally taking flight in 1903 may have led to a paper flying machine in 1909, "but its exact origin is unclear," the museum wrote in a statement.
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100 years of toys
"Where some toys require financial investment, paper airplanes start with a simple sheet of paper, coupled with creativity and dexterity, to produce a toy with infinite aeronautical possibilities," said Strong Museum vice-president for collections Christopher Bensch, "They allow the imagination to take off and soar!"
The Wiffle ball came out of the imagination of a semipro baseball player in the 1950s, who wanted to create a baseball that could be played in suburban backyards. Adding slats to a plastic ball made it hard to hit far, but relatively easy to throw. Today, even adults love playing it.
"Generations of Little League, high school, college and pro sluggers have begun their baseball careers swinging at a Wiffle ball," said Strong's curator Michelle Parnett-Dwyer.
As for Clue, it was created by a British couple during World War II who based it on the murder mystery dinner parties that were popular then. In 1949 it was released as "Cluedo" and was changed to "Clue" in America. Ever since, we have always suspected it was Col. Mustard in the library with a candlestick.
It's also the only inductee this year to have been adapted into a movie, a game show, a TV series, a book series for kids, a comic book and an off-Broadway musical. Earlier this year, a Golden Girls version of the game was announced, too.
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