The Ouija Board was patented in 1891 by Elijah Bond, and that is an odd and interesting story. Bond filed a patent for the "Ouija or Egyptian luck-board" but the patent office was initially hesitant to grant it. They considered the board's ability to answer questions to be unexplainable and potentially fraudulent. To convince the patent officer, Bond and Helen Peters (his sister-in-law) conducted a demonstration. They asked the board to spell out the patent officer's name, which it supposedly did correctly, even though they claimed not to know it. The demonstration worked! The patent officer, reportedly quite shaken by the experience, approved the patent.

For a spooky fun bonus fact, learn why sheets became symbols of ghosts.

Related episodes:

Spirit Photography

This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. If you are thinking of starting therapy, give BetterHelp a try. It is online, flexible and convenient to meet your needs on your schedule. Visit BetterHelp.com/WhoARTed today and get 10% off your first month.

Check out my other podcasts  Art Smart | Rainbow Puppy Science Lab

Who ARTed is an Airwave Media Podcast. If you are interested in advertising on this or any other Airwave Media show, email: [email protected]

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices