It’s the kind of invention that seems so simple, so obvious, one wonders how it took so long to actually come to the market. The spinning of thin, lightweight tubes over the body can be traced to civilizations living several centuries B.C. Records remain of hoop twirling in Britain as early as the 14th century, accompanied, as doctors have noted, by an epidemic of dislocated spines. In the 18th century, British sailors saw Hawaiian natives twirling hoops over their hips, similarly to their hula dance, and the term “hula hoop” was first coined. Still, only two companies came up with the idea of mass-producing the tube; both in the latter half of the 20th century.

On this day, March 5, 1963, the “Hula Hoop” was patented, by Richard P. Knerr and Arthur K. “Spudd” Melin, co-owners of the Wham-O toy company. The duo was reportedly inspired by Australian children twirling wooden hoops (the toys were first manufactured in Austria in ‘57). The plastic tube under the trademarked name “Hula Hoop” made its debut in toy stores priced at $1.98.

The simplicity of the Hula Hoop made it an instant craze: some 100 million were sold in the first full year after its release. Numerous hula hoop records exist, held by individuals hailing from every corner of the globe. In 2004, a couple from Japan managed to spin a 13-foot hula hoop around their waist three times (confirmed by the Guiness book people.) A U.S. man ran a 6:40 miles twirling a hula hoops in 2008. And in 2000, a group of 2,290 Taiwanese people simultaneously hula-hooped together for two minutes, earning the record for the largest crowd ever to hula hoop at once.