Today is National Crayon Day. Wax and chalk-based crayons have been used by artists around the globe for hundreds of years. Edwin Binney created the brightly-colored crayons we are familiar with today. He was the co-owner of Binney & Smith, a company that manufactured products like paint, pigments, and slate pencils for schools.
In 1903, Binney & Smith created the Crayola Division and made colored wax crayons for children for the first time. In 1904, they presented their An-Du-Septic chalk at the Columbian Exposition in St. Louis, and won a gold medal. The chalk was crafted to be dustless, as many teachers wanted, and was an immediate success.
A Yale University study found that crayons are one of the world’s most recognized scents. It ranks 18th among 80 recognizable scents to U.S. adults. The odor is the result of stearic acid (derived from beef fat) added to the batch to give crayons their waxy consistency.
Crayola sells a pack of 16 crayons called Silly Scents, including scents like Alien Armpit, Booger Buster, and Big Foot Feet. Alien Armpit is a sour apple green crayon. Big Foot Feet is orange-brown. Booger Buster is a light yellow color.
Lauryn Hill says, “I consider myself a crayon. I may not be your favorite color but one day, you’ll need me to complete your picture.”
