Get ready to celebrate a splashing fun day – January 13 is National Rubber Ducky Day! 🎉 This quirky holiday honors none other than Rubber Duckie, the beloved bath-time buddy of Sesame Street’s Ernie and Big Bird. First waddling onto the scene in a 1970 episode, this cheerful yellow companion has been making waves ever since.
But did you know? The humble rubber ducky has a history that floats back to the late 1800s. Originally envisioned as a chew toy, it paddled through the tides of time, evolving from rubber to plastic, especially during the World Wars when rubber was as precious as gold!
The first patent for this buoyant buddy was hatched in 1928 by Landon Smart Lawrence. His ingenious design? A ducky that always bobs back to an upright position, no matter how wavy the bathwater gets! And let’s not forget the artistic touch of Russian Sculptor Peter Ganine, who sculpted a duck that’s pretty much the doppelganger of our modern rubber duckies.
Fast forward to 2001, and the rubber ducky makes a royal splash in Britain. Why? The Sun revealed that even Queen Elizabeth II had a rubber duck in her bathroom – and it wore an inflatable crown! 👑
The crowning moment for these cheerful chirpers came in 2013 when the rubber ducky was inducted into the Toy Hall of Fame, joining an exclusive club of only 52 other toys.
So, on January 13, grab your rubber ducky and let’s quack open the celebrations for this iconic, floaty friend! 🦆💦🎈
The now world-famous giant rubber duck, by Dutch artist Florentijn Hofman, has sailed into the Port of Los Angeles. The six-story-tall bath toy has made its west coast debut to take part in their Tall Ships Festival parade. The duck has also appeared in Australia, Belgium, Japan, New Zealand and Brazil. Earlier this year, versions of the massive inflatable duck were in Asia, including Beijing’s harbor and Taiwan, where the duck actually exploded and fell apart while on display. Report by Sarah Kerr.
Did you know that the City of Fairfax Regional Library has a Rubber Ducky collection?
Go on a scavenger hunt to discover more than 200 ducks hiding throughout the building and are on display. The Rubber Ducky is the library’s mascot.
According to a 1973 Sesame Street calendar, Rubber Duckie’s Birthday is January 13 so around the country it’s National Rubber Ducky Day! A friend of Ernie and Big Bird, Duckie made his debut in a February 1970 episode.
The rubber ducky (also spelled duckie) has come a long way from his first concept as a chew toy for children. While the origin of the first rubber ducky is uncertain, many rubber molded toys from dolls to those in various animal shapes came about when rubber manufacturing developed in the late 1800s.
During World Wars I and II, rubber was a valuable commodity that was rationed, and by the 1940s with the advent of plastic, the rubber ducky began being produced in vinyl and plastic.
The earliest patent for a rubber duck toy was patented in 1928 by Landon Smart Lawrence. His design was for a bath toy which was weighted and when tipped would return to its upright position. The sketch included with the patent was that of a duck.
Russian Sculptor Peter Ganine sculpted many animal figures. One, a duck, he later designed and patented it into a floating toy which closely resembles the rubber ducky we have become familiar with today.
Sales of the iconic yellow rubber ducky we’ve come to know today soared in Britain in 2001. Why? A British Tabloid, The Sun, reported Queen Elizabeth II had a rubber duck in her bathroom that wore an inflatable crown.
The rubber ducky became a Toy Hall of Fame inductee in 2013. Founded in 1998, the Hall of Fame has only inducted 52 other toys.
The now world-famous giant rubber duck, by Dutch artist Florentijn Hofman, has sailed into the Port of Los Angeles. The six-story-tall bath toy has made its west coast debut to take part in their Tall Ships Festival parade. The duck has also appeared in Australia, Belgium, Japan, New Zealand and Brazil. Earlier this year, versions of the massive inflatable duck were in Asia, including Beijing’s harbor and Taiwan, where the duck actually exploded and fell apart while on display. Report by Sarah Kerr.
Did you know that the City of Fairfax Regional Library has a Rubber Ducky collection?
Go on a scavenger hunt to discover more than 200 ducks hiding throughout the building and are on display. The Rubber Ducky is the library’s mascot.
MaryO'Studio 