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Sunday 3 August 2014

Crayon

The most recognizable scent for adult Americans in the 18th century was the smell of crayons.

In 1903 a wax crayon was developed in Europe and was first used to mark crates and boxes. Later called Crayola, it made its way in several colors to the USA. where the boxes of eight retailed for five cents on October 23, 1903.

The eight colors in the first box of Crayola Crayons were the same found in an 8-pack today: red, yellow, blue, green, orange, brown, violet (purple) and black.


Crayola means “oily chalk.” The name combines “craie” (French for “chalk”) and “ola” (short for “oleaginous,” or “oily”).

Crayola's dazzling 64-crayon box was introduced in 1958.

Used Crayola crayons that are too small to grasp or too flat to draw with are named "Leftolas." In 2003, the company asked American children to send in blue "Leftolas". Crayola received the equivalent of 123,000 crayons. They used it to create Big Blue, a 1,500lb crayon that’s 15ft long.

The unique smell of Crayola crayons comes from beef fat, which is used to make the crayons waxy.

64-crayon pack sporting built-in sharpener. Wikipedia

The color ‘Peach’ was known as ‘Flesh’ at Crayola until 1962. The change of name was an acknowledgment that flesh comes in many different colors.

The "Techno Brite" crayon collection, by Crayola, had colors like "web surfin' blue" and "www.purple."

In 1996 children's TV personality Fred Rogers poured the 100 billionth Crayola crayon. The commemorative replica that Mr. Rogers received at the event is housed in the Fred Rogers Archive.

In a 2000 survey done by Crayola that over 25,000 people voted in, the world’s favorite Crayola crayon color was blue.

A Yale study found that Crayola crayons are the third most recognizable scent, behind coffee and peanut butter.

A crayon molder named Emerson Moser helped create 1.4 billion crayons over a 37-year career. On his last day he revealed that he was color blind.


Crayons can be used as candles in case of an emergency. Each crayon can burn up to 30 minutes. 

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