Some historians believed that the yoyo was made in China, although a lot of people contested this and said that it was created and first used as a toy in Greece. But then some other groups claimed that the yoyo was not made nor first used in either of the two. There was even a popular belief that it has become a weapon of hunting by the first Filipinos.

In the primitive Philippine time, a hunter was said to use a yoyo-like weapon, some string and a huge rock, to attack his prey. He was supposed to throw the thing to whatever was supposed to pass through below him. And although, he made lots of failures, he attempted over and over. Hence, throwing the thing over and over too. And since, no document can prove this, it has become a legend. And the story that supported this was about the Duncan demonstrators of yoyo way back in 1930s. And from this time onwards, legends continue to spread widely in the country about the toy.

In addition, it was an Irish man, by the name of John McQuade, who was said to create the first yoyo. He was said to often experiment with the toy, and along with his friend, Matthew Martinez, they put a string round a rock and they tried to bring it up and down. They found this entertaining and without them knowing it, they had invented a toy that goes with the basis of a rock and a string. This theory has explained why a yoyo has become such.

But then, the real story actually started with D.F. Duncan Sr., the real co-founder and owner of a hydraulic automobile brake with four wheels, and the famous marketer of the meter used in parking, that eventually became the first successful one. And although, he was not really the inventor of the toy, he was accountable in the popularity of the first ever great fad of the yoyo in America.

It was said that the Americans, most people in the United States too, began playing with yoyo when it was propagated and known as bandalore, termed by the British, in the 1860s. However, it was believed that the Americans first learned, only in the 1920s, that the actual word was yo-yo. A Filipino immigrant, Pedro Flores, started making the toy and gave it the same name. Flores was also the first who created a massive production of yoyo; everything happened only in his little factory in California.

Brian Sutherland is a lifelong juggler, magician, and yoyo fanatic. Experience his exciting videos and how-tos on contact juggling and strolling magician today and learn from a true master.

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