NationalYo - YoDayfalls on what is conceive to have been Donald Duncan Sr . ’s birthday ( even the Duncan Company is n’t quite sure if June 6 is the right date ) . Donald Duncan Sr . was an enterpriser who in 1930 got into the yo - yo business organisation , but let ’s not get ahead of ourselves .

Yo - yos have been popular toy for over 2,000 old age . other forms of the toy were call different names , such asquizzes , bandaloresorJou - Jous . The earliest register account of the word yo - yo is from an 1860 Filipino dictionary . While yo - yos ( and yo - yo - corresponding toy ) have been receive across the globe , the yo - yo as we know it seems to have arise in the Philippines .

In 1923 , Pedro Flores , a man of Filipino descent , began building yo - yos in America . He build the yo - yos by hand , and discovered that America ’s youth were fascinated with them . In 1928 , Flores work up the first yo - yo factory , mass acquire the toy in California . He also begin to defend yo - yo competitions to promote the toys , which started the first round of yo - yo manic disorder in the United States .

A competitor in the 2004 US National Yo-Yo Competition in Chico, Calif.

Donald F. Duncan Sr . first see yo - yos in action around the time Flores began to reserve rivalry . He detect how chop-chop the toys capture the interest of tike and decide to get into the business of making yo - yos . In 1930 , Duncan buy out Flores , who was then hired to go Duncan ’s promotional hunting expedition . More competitions and exhibitions followed , and the companionship did well in its first few age .

For the next 25 years , all of Duncan ’s yo - yos were made of wood . In 1955 , Duncan partner with a company called Flambeau to grow plastic yo - yos . Two years subsequently , Duncan sack out and feed control of his party to his sons , Jack and Don Jr. Donald Duncan Sr . had view the potential difference of a singular toy and turn it into a successful business . Because of his part to the popularity of the yo - yo , National Yo - Yo Day was later established on what is consider to be his birthday . Of course , the story of the yo - yo ( and the Duncan fellowship ) does n’t end here .

The Duncan company had become synonymous with the give-and-take yo - yo , so much so that Duncan claim atrademarkon the term . Other companies challenged Duncan ’s claim , and after a lengthy legal battle , the court rule that the word yo - yo was a generic term that any caller could use . The money spent on litigation couple with the downslope in yo - yo net profit and earlier company debt forced the Duncan company intobankruptcy .

In 1968 , Flambeau buy the Duncan name and continued to produce plastic yo - yos . The famous Duncan wooden yo - yos were break and stay out of production for more than two decades . While the yo - yo cult had waned , sales remained steady , if modest . Yo - yo competitions and expo were held sporadically , but were n’t nearly as popular as they had been in the past times .

In 1985 , the Duncan troupe begin to advertise oncable goggle box , make national hearing . Five years later , a traveling historical exhibit have Duncan yo - yos and world champion yo - yo performer demonstration helped heat a novel yo - yo craze in the United States . In 1996 , the delirium spread worldwide . It was fueled by exciting commercials , partnerships between the Duncan company , skill programs in schools , and a moving ridge of nostalgia as Duncan reintroduce the 1955 wooden yo - yo model .

Today , Duncan continues to produce yo - yos along with several vie companionship . Some companies focus on traditional yo - yos , while others have make innovative theoretical account with batch arrangement and testis bearings to improve carrying out . Yo - yo contention and events are held across the world , and it seems every few years another wave of yo - yo mania sweeps the country . It ’s clear that this ancient plaything will remain a popular choice for kid across the cosmos , despite its account of ups and downs .