May 15 Is An Important Day In Scouting History

On May 15, 1953 — exactly 60 years ago today — the first pinewood derby was held in Manhattan Beach, Calif.

Cub Scout leader Don Murphy came up with the idea when his son expressed an interest in competing in a soap-box derby event (it’s like a life-size pinewood derby, only for older kids (and adults, too)). But the boy was too young, so his father came up with a more kid-friendly event — building much smaller cars from wood and racing them down a short track.

Who would have thought that, 60 years later, the pinewood derby would still be so popular?

Read more about Don Murphy’s story here.

Find out more about the pinewood derby tradition here.

Click here to learn how to make a really fast car.

And, finally, click here to learn how to make your fast car look cool.