Silly Putty is created by mixing silicone oil and boric acid. Invented by a GE engineer named James Wright who was searching for a rubber substitute during World War II, this new compound was similar to rubber but could stretch many times its own length without breaking and also possessed the unusual ability to copy the image of any printed material it was pressed against. Originally called "Nutty Putty," GE made their discovery available to scientists across the globe, and although none of them could find a use for it, they all enjoyed playing with the silly substance. Finally, in 1949, Peter Hodgson had the brilliant idea of selling the substance to children. In its first year on the market, Silly Putty (as it was renamed) set a toy sales record, racking up over $6 million in sales.