The Stories Behind 8 Back-to-School Essentials

Every year you get "the list" of supplies your kids need for school. Crayons, glue, stapler, 3-ring binders... where did all this stuff come from? Rob Lammle gives us the origins of these back-to-school gadgets and supplies that schools can no longer do without. For example, the lunchbox:

In the early part of the 20th Century, most kids packed their school lunch in an empty cookie, biscuit, or tobacco tin. In 1935, a company called Aladdin tried to create a market for specialized lunch boxes by putting Mickey Mouse on the cover of their tin box. But even The Mouse couldn’t convince kids to buy en masse. Aladdin didn’t give up, though, and they had their first bonafide lunchtime hit in 1950 when they released the Hopalong Cassidy lunch box to young baby boomers. Available in red or blue, the box and thermos combination featured a crudely drawn picture of the popular TV and radio cowboy on one side.

Read more about lunch boxes and other school items at mental_floss. Link