The idea for Barbie came about after Mattel toy partner Ruth Handler watched her daughter, Barbara, cut dolls out of magazines and carefully choose clothes and accessories to clothe them in. All other dolls on the market at the time were baby dolls, but Ruth realized there was enormous potential in a doll with adult features, allowing children to act out their dreams.
Barbie was named by Ruth after her daughter. Her full name is Barbie Millicent Roberts, and she is from Willows, Wisconsin.
Barbie was the first doll with developed breasts
Mattel designer Jack Ryan (1926-1991) created the popular image of the Barbie doll. Apart from Barbie's general appearance, Ryan designed both the hinge that enabled her knees and waist to bend and her pull-string voice box.
Ryan was also noted for being being the sixth husband of Zsa Zsa Gabor.
The Barbie Doll made her debut in a zebra-striped swimsuit at the New York Toy Fair on March 9, 1959. The first Barbie was introduced in both blonde and brunette. She took toy stores across the United States by storm and more than 351,000 dolls were sold that year at $3 (£2.00) each.
March 9th is also used as Barbie's official birthday.
She was introduced to the United Kingdom in 1961.
Barbie wasn't given bendable legs until 1965.
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| Ruth Handler |
Barbie was named by Ruth after her daughter. Her full name is Barbie Millicent Roberts, and she is from Willows, Wisconsin.
Barbie was the first doll with developed breasts
Mattel designer Jack Ryan (1926-1991) created the popular image of the Barbie doll. Apart from Barbie's general appearance, Ryan designed both the hinge that enabled her knees and waist to bend and her pull-string voice box.
Ryan was also noted for being being the sixth husband of Zsa Zsa Gabor.
The Barbie Doll made her debut in a zebra-striped swimsuit at the New York Toy Fair on March 9, 1959. The first Barbie was introduced in both blonde and brunette. She took toy stores across the United States by storm and more than 351,000 dolls were sold that year at $3 (£2.00) each.
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| The first Barbie doll introduced in March 1959. Barbieologin at Wikimedia |
March 9th is also used as Barbie's official birthday.
She was introduced to the United Kingdom in 1961.
Barbie wasn't given bendable legs until 1965.
In 1993 the Barbie Liberation Organization switched the voice boxes on talking G.I. Joes and Barbie dolls causing the barbies to say phrases like "vengeance is mine" and G.I. Joes to say "The beach is the place for summer." 300 to 500 dolls were modified.
After Aqua recorded their hit single "Barbie Girl" in 1997, Mattel sued the Danish band, in 2002, saying they violated the Barbie trademark and turned Barbie into a sex object, referring to her as a "Blonde Bimbo."
After Aqua recorded their hit single "Barbie Girl" in 1997, Mattel sued the Danish band, in 2002, saying they violated the Barbie trademark and turned Barbie into a sex object, referring to her as a "Blonde Bimbo."
The live-action Barbie movie starring Margot Robbie was released in theaters on July 21, 2023. The film follows Barbie as she is kicked out of Barbieland for not being perfect enough. She then embarks on an adventure in the real world, where she learns to embrace her imperfections and to be herself.
Mattel sells over 20-million Barbies a year. About half of American girls have owned at least one.
In 2003, Barbie was first banned then declared a threat to morality in Saudi Arabia.
In 2012, Iran banned the sale of Barbie dolls to protect the country from decadent Western cultural influences.
"Hello Barbie" was released in 2015. She used speech recognition and connected to WiFi. When you pressed her belt buckle, Barbie saved what you said to the cloud so she could learn your likes and dislikes and incorporate them into future conversations. Some parents found it "too creepy".
A standard Barbie doll is 11.5 inches tall, giving a height of 5 feet 9 inches at 1/6 scale. Barbie's vital statistics have been estimated at 36 inches (chest), 18 inches (waist) and 33 inches (hips). At 5'9" tall and weighing 110 lbs, Barbie would have a BMI of 16.24 and fit the weight criteria for anorexia.
Judged by the head size, if the Barbie doll were life-size she'd be 7ft 2in tall and, strangely, given that she is meant to be a teenage girl, her figure would be 36-13-38!
If Barbie were life-size her neck would be twice the length of a normal human’s neck.
On average, a Canadian girl owns seven Barbie dolls, whereas an American girl owns eight.
The world’s largest collection of Barbie dolls is owned by Bettina Dorfmann, from Dusseldorf, Germany, who has 18,000 of them.
There are more than 200 different types of Barbie Dolls.
Barbie has held more than 130 different careers since she was first introduced in 1959.
Barbie has parents, eight siblings (two of which are now discontinued) and chose never to have children.
There are more Barbie dolls in Italy than there are Canadians in Canada.
Every second, two Barbie dolls are sold somewhere in the world.
Two and a half time more Barbies are sold every year than babies are born in the US.
There's a Barbie-like Islamic doll called "Fulla".
Sources Greatfacts.com, Wikipedia, Daily Express
There are more Barbie dolls in Italy than there are Canadians in Canada.
Every second, two Barbie dolls are sold somewhere in the world.
Two and a half time more Barbies are sold every year than babies are born in the US.
There's a Barbie-like Islamic doll called "Fulla".
Sources Greatfacts.com, Wikipedia, Daily Express
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