User talk:Mikepaps

History
Ray-Bans were first created in 1936. The idea of Ray Bans began some years earlier when Lieutenant John A. Macready (an American test pilot and aviator) returned from a balloon flying adventure and complained that the sun had permanently damaged his eyes. He contacted Bausch & Lomb asking them to create sunglasses that would provide protection and also look sophisticated. On May 7, 1937, Bausch & Lomb took out the patent[3], '''and the Aviator was made available to the public. ''' The prototype, known as Anti-Glare, had a light frame weighing 150 grams. They were made of gold-plated metal with green lenses made of mineral glass to filter out infrared and ultraviolet rays. Pilots in the United States Army Air Corps immediately adopted the sunglasses.[3] The army had intentions to have sunglasses that would protect the soldiers' eyes from harmful sun rays while maintaining a stylish look. [4] The Ray-Ban Aviator became a well-known style of sunglasses when General Douglas MacArthur landed on the beach in the Philippines in World War II, and photographers snapped several pictures of him wearing them. Ray-Bans were quickly seen outside of just the army. Ray-Bans quickly gained popularity through other wars and even made a debut in the movies. In 1952, Ray-Ban created another style, the Ray-Ban Wayfarer. The difference with these sunglasses were the plastic frames. This design rose in popularity soon after its release. The Wayfarer sunglasses were seen on movie stars, TV stars, and musicians. [5] Ray-Ban still remains a top designer in the sunglasses industry with their constant change in color, frames, and lenses.

1950's and 1960's
The fifties was when Ray-Bans had gained recognition through American pop-culture endorsements for the first time. Kim Novak and Marilyn Monroe wore Wayfarers in public and movies. Audrey Hepburn wore Wayfarers in the 1961