# Who invented the globe inflatable beach ball?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-invented-the-globe-inflatable-beach-ball/420519>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [September 26, 2007, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-invented-the-globe-inflatable-beach-ball/420519 "2007-09-26T05:22:02Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![toadspittle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c0e974/32.png) [@toadspittle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/toadspittle)\
**Post date:** [September 26, 2007, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-invented-the-globe-inflatable-beach-ball/420519/1 "2007-09-26T05:22:02Z")

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Today’s impossible task: who invented the first beach ball that has a globe (i.e., map of the earth) printed on it? Or, slightly less impossible: When did these things first come to market? 1990? 1980? 1960?

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**Author:** ![Hail\_Ants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/dc4da7/32.png) [@Hail\_Ants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hail_Ants)\
**Post date:** [September 26, 2007, 10:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-invented-the-globe-inflatable-beach-ball/420519/2 "2007-09-26T10:56:24Z")

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Ummmm, Michael Palin maybe?

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**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\
**Post date:** [September 26, 2007, 11:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-invented-the-globe-inflatable-beach-ball/420519/3 "2007-09-26T11:42:08Z")

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A 1953 US newspaper story:

> [@](#):
>
> Plastic World Globe Is Good Beach Ball, Too  
> CHICAGO—A new 16 inch world globe for teaching children geography is made of plastic so durable the sphere also can be used as a beach ball. The plastic is tough and resilient enough for the world globe to be bounced like a basketball and flexible enough for the deflated globe to fit in a drawer or pocket.  
> A convenient base for the inflated globe is made by simply pushing out a circular section in the front or the box in which the deflated globe is packed.

Just to get you started.

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**Author:** ![toadspittle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c0e974/32.png) [@toadspittle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/toadspittle)\
**Post date:** [September 26, 2007, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-invented-the-globe-inflatable-beach-ball/420519/4 "2007-09-26T14:34:07Z")

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[QUOTE=samclem]  
A 1953 US newspaper story:

Just to get you started.  
[/QUOTE]

Fan-tastic! Thanks, Sam. Just what I was looking for. I had hoped they appeared before 1960. (I’m working on a short story.)

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**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\
**Post date:** [September 26, 2007, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-invented-the-globe-inflatable-beach-ball/420519/5 "2007-09-26T15:44:24Z")

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There’s also [this famous scene](http://www.charliechaplin.com/images/photos/0000/0105/Great_Dictator_globe_scene_academy_print_big.jpg) from _The Great Dictator_ (1940).