While the popularity of fidget spinners surged in 2017, Catherine Hettinger is credited with inventing a spinning toy, for which she filed a patent in 1997. This patent, however, was not renewed after eight years.
Hettinger's original invention, initially called a "spinning toy," was designed as a calming device and a way to entertain children. It differed somewhat from the fidget spinners that became widely popular, but it laid the groundwork for the concept of a handheld spinning toy.
Therefore, while various adaptations and iterations of the spinner exist, Catherine Hettinger is recognized for patenting the initial concept of a spinning toy that shares similarities with the modern fidget spinner.
