| Barbie is a best-selling doll launched | | | | eyes were adjusted to look forwards |
| at the American International Toy Fair | | | | rather than sideways. Barbie was one of |
| on March 9, 1959. The doll is produced | | | | the first toys to have a marketing |
| by Mattel, Inc. Barbie dolls and related | | | | strategy based extensively on television |
| accessories are manufactured to | | | | advertising, which has been copied since |
| approximately 1/6th scale, which is also | | | | by many other toys. Today the Barbie |
| known as playscale. [1] | | | | doll is a $1.9 billion a year industry, |
| Ruth Handler watched her daughter | | | | with Mattel claiming that three Barbie |
| Barbara at play with paper dolls, and | | | | dolls are sold every second. Barbie |
| noticed that she often enjoyed giving | | | | products include not only the range of |
| them adult roles. At the time, most | | | | dolls with their clothes and |
| children's toy dolls were | | | | accessories, but also a huge range of |
| representations of infants. Realizing | | | | Barbie branded goods such as books, |
| that there could be a gap in the market, | | | | fashion items and video games. Barbie |
| she suggested the idea of an | | | | has appeared in a series of animated |
| adult-bodied doll to her husband Elliot, | | | | films and makes a brief guest appearance |
| a co-founder of the Mattel toy company. | | | | in the 1999 film Toy Story 2. Almost |
| He was unenthusiastic about the idea, as | | | | uniquely for a toy fashion doll, Barbie |
| were Mattel's directors. | | | | has become a cultural icon and has been |
| During a trip to Germany in 1956 with | | | | given honors that are rare in the toy |
| her children Barbara and Kenneth, Ruth | | | | world. In 1974 a section of Times Square |
| Handler discovered a German doll called | | | | in New York City was renamed Barbie |
| the Bild Lilli doll in a shop window. | | | | Boulevard for a week, while in 1985 the |
| The adult-figured Lilli doll was exactly | | | | artist Andy Warhol created a painting of |
| what Handler had in mind, so she | | | | Barbie. |
| purchased three of them. She gave one to | | | | Barbie's full name is Barbara Millicent |
| her daughter and took the others back to | | | | Roberts, and over the years she has been |
| Mattel. The Lilli doll was based on a | | | | given many companions, the best known |
| popular character appearing in a comic | | | | being her beau Ken (Ken Carson), who |
| strip drawn by Reinhard Beuthin for the | | | | made his debut in 1961. Like Barbie, Ken |
| newspaper Die Bild-Zeitung. Lilli was a | | | | shares his name with one of Ruth |
| working girl who knew what she wanted | | | | Handler's children. Barbie and Ken have |
| and was not above using men to get it. | | | | a famous on-off relationship and they |
| The Lilli doll was first sold in Germany | | | | announced a split in 2004 which seems to |
| in 1955, and although it was initially | | | | have been only temporary. Other |
| sold to adults, it became popular with | | | | longstanding friends in Barbie's |
| children who enjoyed dressing her up in | | | | ethnically diverse social circle include |
| outfits that were available separately. | | | | Hispanic Teresa, African American |
| On her return to the United States, | | | | Christie and Steven (Christie's |
| Handler reworked the design of the doll | | | | boyfriend), and Kayla. For a full list |
| (with help from engineer Jack Ryan) and | | | | of Barbie's companions, see the List of |
| the doll was given a new name, Barbie, | | | | Barbie's friends and family. |
| after Handler's daughter Barbara. The | | | | According to the Random House novels of |
| doll made its debut at the American | | | | the 1960s, her parents' names are George |
| International Toy Fair in New York on | | | | and Margaret Roberts of Willows, |
| March 9, 1959. This date is also used as | | | | Wisconsin. Barbie has been said to |
| Barbie's official birthday. Mattel | | | | attend Willows High School in Willows, |
| acquired the rights to the Bild Lilli | | | | Wisconsin and Manhattan International |
| doll in 1964 and production of Lilli was | | | | High School in New York City (based on |
| stopped. The first Barbie doll wore a | | | | the real-life Stuyvesant High School). |
| black and white zebra striped swimsuit | | | | Barbie has thirty-eight recorded pets, |
| and signature topknot ponytail, and was | | | | including cats and dogs, horses, a |
| available as either a blonde or | | | | panda, a lion cub, and a zebra. She has |
| brunette. The doll was marketed as a | | | | owned pink convertibles, trailers, jeeps |
| "Teen-age Fashion Model", with her | | | | and more. She also holds a pilot's |
| clothes created by Mattel fashion | | | | license, and operates commercial |
| designer Charlotte Johnson. Barbie's | | | | airliners when not serving as a flight |
| appearance has been changed many times, | | | | attendant. |
| most notably in 1971 when the doll's | | | | |