The Surprisingly Complicated History of the Frisbee
Walter Morrison invented the modern Frisbee in 1946 by applying aerodynamic principles he learned as a fighter pilot to improve upon a casual game he and his wife had played with cake pans and popcorn lids in the 1930s. After Morrison sold his design patent to toy company Wham-O in 1957, the disc gained unexpected popularity on college campuses where students had already been throwing pie tins branded with the Frisbie Pie Company logo, leading Wham-O to adopt and rebrand the toy with the now-familiar spelling. Ed Headrick, who joined Wham-O in 1964, redesigned the Frisbee's rim to create the modern version still used today and later founded disc golf, an offshoot sport that traces its own origins back to tin lid throwing games in Canada.