How was silly putty made by mistake?

It was accidentally invented. During World War II the United State government rationed rubber. In the need to find a rubber or rubber substitute, silly putty was accidentally invented. Earl Warrick and James Wright are both a credited with the creation of silly putty. Silly putty was quickly ruled out to be used as a substitute for rubber and was nothing but left on the floor as no more than a strange compound. In 1949 it came to a toy store owner,, Ruth Fallgatter, who sold it for $2 a case. Marketing consultant Peter Hodgson eventually continues personal sale of the substance in plastic eggs for $1. During the Korean War, Hodgson was almost put out of business in 1951. The United States began to ration silicone, one of two major reactants (boric acid & silicone oil). A year later business continued, finally reach around the world. Hodgson died in 1976 and Binney and Smith, the makers of Crayola products, acquired the rights to Silly Putty a year later.