How American ingenuity led to the Frisbee, a worldwide sensation enjoyed by millions

A 1930s California beach boy, Walter Frederick Morrison, saw enormous opportunity in the playtime practice of skimming pie plates through the air.

Each episode highlights the individuals whose ideas, perseverance or innovations have left an enduring imprint on American culture with a full episode devoted to the roots of the game of Frisbee. 

Morrison, together with Warren Franscioni, turned the casual activity into a game, developing a plastic disc version in 1948.

The invention had an airfoil at the outer edge dubbed "the Morrison slope."

Wham-O toy founders purchased the rights in 1955, officially naming the flying saucer "Frisbee" in 1958.

"It was an instant phenomenon," Tristan Lin, brand director for Wham-O, previously told Fox News Digital. 

"Before you knew it, every college kid in America was playing Frisbee."

Eventually, Headrick left Wham-O to start "disc golf."

Today, the Professional Disc Golf Association hosts tournaments with participants from all over the world. 

Fox News Digital's Taylor Penley contributed reporting.