#89 Evolution

Crayola crayons have evolved over the years. For a history and list of the evolution of the Crayola colors, click here. Fascinating.

• 1903 Noticing a need for safe, quality, affordable wax crayons, the company produces the first box of eight Crayola®  crayons, selling for a nickel. The Crayola name, coined by Edwin Binney's wife Alice, comes from "craie," the French word for chalk, and "ola," from "oleaginous."
• 1958 The 64-color assortment of Crayola®  crayons - with the built in sharpener - debuts.  Binney & Smith takes 100 percent ownership of the Cosmic Crayon Company in England and Canada.
• 1984 Crayola becomes a subsidiary of Hallmark Cards, Inc.
• 1990 Eight colors are retired to the Crayola Hall of Fame.
• 1993 Sixteen new colors, named by consumers, are introduced.
• 1996 100 billioneth crayon roles off the assembly line.
• 1999 To help alleviate consumer confusion, the company announces it will change the name of indian red.  This is only the third time that the company has changed a crayon color name; prussian blue was changed to midnight blue, and flesh was changed to peach.
• 2003 Four new colors were introduced for the next century: "inch worm", "mango tango", "wild blue yonder", and "jazzberry jam"; these colors replaced blizzard blue, magic mint, mulberry, and teal blue.www.crayola.com/about/ourhistory