Frisbie's pie tins were made for holding pies — until Yale students learned they flew

The Frisbie Pie Company of Bridgeport, Connecticut, began baking pies in the 1870s. The company stamped its name on the bottom of its metal pie tins and delivered pies across New England. By the early 20th century, Yale students had discovered that the empty tins, when thrown with a spin, would glide through the air. They tossed them across campus, shouting 'Frisbie!' as a warning to anyone in the path. The company had designed the tins for one purpose — pies — and they were never meant to fly.

In 1937, Walter Frederick Morrison tossed a popcorn can lid with his future wife Lucile on a Thanksgiving afternoon. The couple was later offered 25 cents for a cake pan they were tossing on a beach, inspiring Morrison to think commercially. After serving in World War II, he sketched an improved design and produced the first plastic discs in 1948, calling them Flyin' Saucers. The discs sold modestly at fairs.

In 1955, Morrison designed the Pluto Platter — the archetype of all modern flying discs. Two years later, he sold the rights to Wham-O, the toy company behind the Hula Hoop. Wham-O co-founders Richard Knerr and Arthur Melin soon learned that college students were calling the Pluto Platter a 'Frisbee,' after the pie tins. They adopted the name and began mass production.

In 1964, Wham-O hired Ed Headrick, who redesigned the disc with a thicker rim and greater mass for better control. Headrick became the father of Frisbee sports, founding the International Frisbee Association and developing disc golf. The Frisbee was inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame in 1998. The pie tin that was never meant to fly became one of the best-selling toys in history.