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  1. Jul 22, 2023 · In her 64 years of existence, Barbie has had hundreds of careers, including as an astronaut and running to be U.S. president. But her story isn't all bright pink. The doll has also been the focal ...

    • Overview
    • 1. The First Barbie Doll Launches at the American Toy Fair in New York City
    • 2. Barbie’s Impressive Resume
    • 3. The Year of Ken
    • 4. Barbie’s Friends & Family
    • 5. First Celebrity Barbie
    • 6. African American and Latina Barbie Introduced
    • 7. Andy Warhol Paints Barbie
    • 8. Bob Mackie Designs his First Barbie
    • 9. Barbie for President

    Take a look at Barbie's cultural revolution through the decades.

    In March 1959, a doll named "Barbie" launched onto the American toy market, sporting a black-and-white striped bathing suit, pouty red lips and a sassy blonde ponytail. The leggy, 11-inch plastic figure—full name: Barbara Millicent Roberts—was the first mass-produced toy doll in the U.S. with adult features. She would go on to become one of the most iconic playthings in history.

    Barbie was the brainchild of Ruth Handler, co-founder (with her husband Elliot) of the toy company Mattel, Inc. Inspired by watching their daughter play with make-believe paper dolls of adult women, Handler realized there was an unfilled niche in the market for a toy that allowed little girls to imagine the future.

    Barbie’s appearance was modeled after a doll named the Bild Lilli, which had been inspired by a German comic-strip character. Originally marketed as a racy gag gift that men could buy in tobacco shops, the Lilli doll later became extremely popular with children. Mattel bought the rights to Lilli, and Handler created her own version.

    This Day in History: 03/09/1959 - Barbie makes her debut

    For decades to come, Barbie continued to evolve with the changing times. Here's a look at her cultural revolution through the years.

    An original 1959 Barbie

    Barbie’s official birthday is March 9, 1959—the day she was officially introduced to the world. Handler always saw Barbie as a reflection of the times, with the first doll mimicking the glamour of 1950s stars such as Elizabeth Taylor and Marilyn Monroe. In its first year, 300,000 Barbie dolls were sold. The first Barbie doll sold for $3.00, but a mint condition #1 doll can fetch more than $25,000 today.

    Astronaut Barbie

    Over the span of her existence, Barbie has had more than 250 careers. She broke the plastic ceiling when she went to the moon in 1965, four years before Neil Armstrong. Since then, she has been everything from a doctor to a paleontologist to a rock star to a computer engineer.

    Barbie and Ken in the 1960s

    Barbie’s on-again, off-again longtime boyfriend, Ken Carson, was introduced two years after Barbie in 1961. Ken was named after Ruth Handler’s son.

    Barbie’s best friend Midge, 1963

    To counteract criticisms that Barbie was solely a sex symbol, Mattel gave her a best friend, Midge Hadley, introduced in 1963. A year later, they gave her a little sister: Skipper Roberts.

    The first celebrity Barbie, Twiggy the 1960s supermodel

    In 1967, supermodel Twiggy became the first celebrity to have a Barbie made in her likeness. Cher, Audrey Hepburn, Diana Ross and JK Rowling—to name a few—would later join the ranks of celebrity Barbies.

    African American Barbie, 1980

    While there had been other African American dolls in the Barbie collection before—including Barbie’s friend Christie, first introduced in 1968—an official African American Barbie wasn’t created until 1980, alongside a Latina Barbie. That same year saw the first of more than 40 different international Barbies released to date.

    Artist Andy Warhol displaying his portrait of a Barbie doll

    Given Andy Warhol’s longtime fascination with iconic stars such as Jackie Kennedy, Marilyn Monroe and Elvis Presley, it came as little surprise that the Pop artist would get around to depicting Barbie. The inspiration for his 1986 painting came from his longtime friendship with a jewelry designer, who happened to be an avid Barbie collector with tens of thousands of dolls. When Warhol asked to paint the designer’s portrait, his friend replied, “Do a portrait of Barbie because...Barbie, c’est moi.” Nearly 20 years later, Mattel returned the favor, issuing an Andy Warhol-themed Barbie collectible.

    The Bob Mackie Gold Barbie, 1990

    To this day, the Bob Mackie Barbie dolls are some of the most sought-after collectibles. Featuring his trademark glam style, the Bob Mackie Gold Barbie featured 5,000 hand-sewn golden sequin accents. Mackie helped start the collectible Barbie craze.

    Barbie runs for president in 1992

    Barbie first ran for president in 1992, and has hit the campaign trail at least seven times since. In 2020, she launched a campaign team.

    • Eliana Dockterman
    • Mattel is protective of the Barbie brand. Mattel has been incredibly cautious when it comes to its most valuable asset—and rightly so. Barbie has spent much of her history as the bestselling doll in the world.
    • Why Amy Schumer’s Barbie didn’t happen. When Amy Schumer signed on to play the doll in a live-action movie in 2016, the comedian had cemented herself as a sharp feminist voice in pop culture.
    • Is the movie about one Barbie or many Barbies? The question of who, exactly, would play Barbie was paramount. Mattel recently took great pains to modernize its doll.
    • Mattel now wants to build a cinematic universe. A Barbie movie probably never would have come to fruition if it weren’t for Mattel CEO Kreiz. In 2018, Kreiz took over the position at a moment of vulnerability for the company.
  2. Jan 25, 2016 · Mattel has also made sure that success does not rely on one Barbie doll alone, but has continued to innovate with new and different types of dolls alongside its flagship blonde Barbie. Changing ...

  3. Aug 5, 2023 · Ruth Handler was the ambitious career woman who created Barbie and changed America's toy industry. But a tax fraud scandal ultimately saw her forced out of the company she co-founded, Mattel.

    • Did Barbie ever regain control of Mattel?1
    • Did Barbie ever regain control of Mattel?2
    • Did Barbie ever regain control of Mattel?3
    • Did Barbie ever regain control of Mattel?4
    • Did Barbie ever regain control of Mattel?5
  4. In 1961, Barbie got a boyfriend, Ken, named, perhaps oddly, after the Handlers’ son. In 1963, she got a best friend, Midge, and, in 1964, a little sister, Skipper. In 2021, Mattel shipped more ...

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  6. Dec 24, 2022 · Barbie Is a Success. But before Toy Fair, Handler had bought plenty of commercial time on The Mickey Mouse Club. And when summertime rolled around, Mattel began receiving orders from buyers wanting the dolls. The rest is history. Barbie would eventually go on to become one of the most controversial toys ever. Viva Barbie!

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