FUN FACT FRIDAY: RUBBER DUCKIES! Since they got loose in my home yesterday, let’s talk about duckies. Rubber ducks made their debut in the late 1800s. Charles Goodyear invented a new process to mold rubber, and solid rubber ducks found their way into homes. The first ducks did not float and were thought of as chew / teething toys for babies. In 1933, a latex company produced inexpensive bath floaters based on Disney characters. Of course, Daisy and Donald Duck proved to be the most popular. A sculptor by the name of Peter Ganine designed a non-tipping duck floater in 1949 and filed a 14-year patient for his duckie. His iconic design went on to sell about 50 million to an eager public. The rubber duckie helped Sesame Street’s very first season in 1970, as Ernie extolled the virtues of his aquatic pal in song. Ernie’s ode “Rubber Duckie” was a big splash! It sold over 1 million copies and even made it to #16 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts in the US. In 2013, duckies were inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame. Today we have duckies of more shapes and sizes than we can count. Duckies appear in our baths, photography, carnival games, and collections. They may not be made of rubber anymore, but are truly a part of our culture. Have a LUCKY DUCKY FRIDAY mes amis! xoxo