YO-YOS.

Yo-yo is a toy whose origin has not discovered exactly, but there have been presented some dates and places where there are evidence of its appearance through the years. One of this it´s guess that China it was used about 3000 years ago. Also in Greece around 500 B.C. yo-yo were used and called discs, they were made of terracotta, wood and metal. After this, yo-yo was related to the Mayan culture in Mexico's Yucatan peninsula about A.D.700. Then the yoyo appeared in India in 1765. Later in the 1791, a French painting done pictures the future king Louis XVII yo-yoing.

Yo-yos became a symbol of fashion and wealth, at that moment they were being made of crystals, stones and precious metals.

 For 1790 the yo-yo wasn´t only just a game for children, it was also used by youth and adults to relax time, including Napoleon and his soldiers in the battle of 1815.

In 1866, James L. Haven and Charles Hettrick of Cincinnati signed a U.S. patent. But it was not until 1928 when Pedro Flores opened a factory and to the next year had to open two more factories, by the high demand that yo-yo had, to the point of reaching 300,000 units produced daily. In one month in 1930, in the state of Philadelphia were sold 3 million yo-yos.

With so many years of history yo-yo has also had its glorious moments when it traveled to space in shuttle Discovery, and years later, in the space shuttle Atlantis. Sharing with celebrities, as the U.S.A. Presidents John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson and Richard Nixon, who enjoyed playing yo-yo as a pastime, as they were often seen playing with the yo-yo at the presidential office in the White House. Another remarkable feat is the Fast Eddy ('fast') McDonald, who holds the title of the person in the world that can do more "loops" in an hour ", after taking 8437 with his yo-yo.

CARMEN M. DELGADO. CB-0657.