Ronald B. Howes (May 22, 1926 – February 16, 2010) was an American toy inventor, best known for his invention of the Easy-Bake Oven, which was introduced to consumers in 1963.
He was raised by his German grandmother and her American husband in Over-the-Rhine, a historic neighborhood in Cincinnati.
[1] Howes' family ran a series of small grocery stores in the city during the Great Depression.
[1] He left Walnut Hills High School during World War II in order to enlist in the United States Navy.
[1] Howes came up with the idea for the Easy-Bake Oven when he noticed that street vendors kept their food hot by using heat-lamps.