Charles Foley | Twister inventor, 82
Charles Foley, 82, whose Twister game launched decades of awkward social interactions at parties, died July 1 at a care facility in the Minneapolis suburb of St. Louis Park. Son Mark said Thursday that his father had Alzheimer's disease.
Charles Foley, 82, whose Twister game launched decades of awkward social interactions at parties, died July 1 at a care facility in the Minneapolis suburb of St. Louis Park. Son Mark said Thursday that his father had Alzheimer's disease.
Mr. Foley and a collaborator, Neil Rabens, were hired in the mid-1960s by a St. Paul, Minn., manufacturing firm that wanted to expand into games and toys. They came up with a game to be played on a mat, using a spinner to direct players to place their hands and feet on different-color circles.
"Dad wanted to make a game that could light up a party," Mark Foley said. "They originally called it Pretzel. But they sold it to Milton Bradley, which came up with the Twister name."
The game became a sensation after Johnny Carson and Eva Gabor played it on The Tonight Show in 1966.
Hasbro Inc., which now manufactures the game, said it continues to be a top seller. - AP