For millions of people, Crayola crayons symbolize a rite of passage from toddlerhood to childhood. These waxy colored chalks, packaged in the familiar green-and-yellow box, are nearly every child's first drawing tool. Thought of so fondly, Crayola is one of the 20 most recognizable smells in the world. Since its introduction in 1903, more than 100 billion crayons have been sold ­ enough to circle the globe four and a half times if the sticks were laid end-to-end.

Crayola's inventor, Binney & Smith of Pennsylvania, originally manufactured red oxide pigments used to paint barns red and carbon black pigments used by the Goodrich Tire Company to turn the then-common white tires black. Following these successes, Binney & Smith began producing slate pencils and dustless chalk for schools, but seeing a need for better, more affordable wax crayons, the company adapted its industrial marking chalk for children. Brightly color and shaped for small hands, the crayons (named Crayola from the French words for oily chalk) were an instant hit. Even during the Great Depression of the 1930s, demand continued, and the company hired local farm families to hand-label crayons. Each farm became associated with a different color name. This tradition continued for many years, supplementing the winter income of farmers.

Today more than 200 million Crayola crayons are sold annually in 60 countries. From its original eight colors, the Crayola palette has grown to 96. Otherwise virtually unchanged since 1903, Crayolas have outlived nearly every toy fad and seem likely to delight children for generations to come.