Hula Hoop Swivels Into Its 50th Year

SAN FRANCISCO -- The Hula Hoop -- the iconic toy that had more hips swiveling than Elvis Presley did -- turned 50 Thursday.
It may be hard to believe in an age of high-tech gadgetry and video games, but the Hula Hoop used to be the coolest toy around.
The hoopla began 50 years ago when entrepreneurs Richard Knerr and Arthur "Spud" Melin sought a trademark for a thin plastic loop and went on to found a toy company called Wham-O.
They charged $1.98 for the Hula Hoop and sold more than 100 million, which adds up to more than one hoop for every two Americans at the time.
The Hula Hoop became so popular that the former Soviet Union banned the toy as a symbol of the "emptiness of American culture."
Then the fad went flat, and Hula Hoops began gathering dust in garages across the country.
Luckily Wham-O had another toy: a flying disc called a Frisbee.