Did you know all those backyard trampolines you see in people's yards evolved from an invention created in this Iowa town?

A trampoline setup for your backyard can run anywhere from a couple of hundred bucks to over $1000 large.

It turns out the trampoline was the brainchild of 16-year-old George Nissen of Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Trampoline Invented In This Iowa Town-Getty Thinkstock
Trampoline Invented In This Iowa Town-Getty Thinkstock
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The story goes that back in 1930 Nissen attended the circus and he came up with the idea for the device while “watching the aerialists drop from their perches up high in the big top and land with a soft bounce on the safety net below.”

Nissen himself was a gymnast who would go on to win three NCAA titles at the University of Iowa.

After much trial and error George Nissen of Cedar Rapids, Iowa finally got a patent labeled a “tumbling device” on March 6, 1945.

Trampoline Invented In This Iowa Town-Getty Thinkstock
Trampoline Invented In This Iowa Town-Getty Thinkstock
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He later received a registered trademark for “Trampoline” which came from the Spanish “el trampolín” meaning “diving board.”

According to Smithsonian magazine, “World War II is when the trampoline’s potential began to bounce into view.

The military latched on to it as a training device for pilots, to allow them to learn how to reorient themselves to their surroundings after difficult air maneuvers.

The pilots practiced pirouetting in midair on the trampolines to simulate combat conditions.”

And now you see trampolines in backyards, jumping parks, schools, and gyms.

Trampoline Invented In This Iowa Town-Getty Thinkstock
Trampoline Invented In This Iowa Town-Getty Thinkstock
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