Did you know Tinker Toys were invented by stonemason Charles H. Pajeau in Evanston, Illinois, in 1914, after he saw children playing with sticks and thread spools ? (He was aiming to create a toy that inspired imagination using simple wooden rods and spools, and the business partners (Pajeau, Robert Pettit, and Gordon Tinker) launched it at the 1914 American Toy Fair, eventually selling millions.)

Did you know LEGO bricks were invented by Danish carpenter Ole Kirk Kristiansen ? (He started the company making wooden toys in 1932 and introduced the first plastic "Automatic Binding Bricks" in 1949, inspired by British Kiddicraft bricks; the iconic interlocking design with studs and tubes was patented by his son, Godtfred Kirk, in 1958. The name "LEGO" is coined from the Danish "leg godt" meaning play well.)

Did you know Raggedy Ann and Andy were created by American cartoonist and author Johnny Gruelle, inspired by an old rag doll his daughter Marcella found in his Mother's attic, with Gruelle drawing the iconic face and heart ? (The first book, Raggedy Ann Stories, appeared in 1918, followed by Raggedy Andy in 1920, launching a beloved series of books and dolls.)

Did you know UNO was created in 1971 by Reading, Ohio barber Merle Robbins to simplify the game Crazy Eights ? (Adding action cards and rules directly to the cards to reduce arguments, eventually selling the rights to Mattel, making it a global phenomenon. The Robbins family printed the first decks, sold them from their barbershop, and by 1972, sold the rights for $50,000 plus royalties, leading to its widespread success.)

Did you know the popular bluffing game Balderdash was invented by Canadians Laura Robinson and Paul Toyne and released in 1984 ? (Evolving from the public domain parlor game Fictionary (or the Dictionary Game) where players invent fake definitions for obscure words. The game became a huge success and later adding categories like dates, acronyms, and movie plots in Beyond Balderdash.)