The history of LEGO

How did LEGO come about?

The story of LEGO begins in 1932 in Billund, Denmark, with Ole Kirk Christiansen, a carpenter who decided to change his business from woodworking to toy production. He started making wooden toys, such as marbles and yoyos, under the name "LEGO", derived from the Danish words "leg godt" which means "play well".

In 1934, Christiansen introduced the first LEGO bricks, made from cellulose acetate, a type of plastic. These stones were not compatible with each other and were mainly used as toys for girls. But in 1949, LEGO developed a new brick that was compatible with other manufacturers' bricks, and they began producing building sets for children. These building sets became a great success and LEGO quickly grew into one of the largest toy manufacturers in the world.

In 1955, LEGO introduced their famous "System of Play" in which the bricks fit together exactly, so that children could really build something. In the years that followed, LEGO expanded their product line to include different themes such as space, trains, and military, and in 1978 they introduced LEGO minifigures, small figures that children could use to populate their builds.

In the 1980s and 1990s, LEGO continued to grow, introducing computer-controlled building sets and licensing deals with popular franchises such as Star Wars and Harry Potter. In 1998, LEGO released the first LEGO video game, LEGO Island, and since then many LEGO-related video games and films have been released.

To this day, LEGO remains one of the most popular toy brands in the world, with a growing fan base of both children and adults. The LEGO bricks are still made of plastic, but the company has announced that it is aiming for more sustainable production in the future. Regardless of the changes, the fact remains that LEGO has become an icon in the toy world and continues to inspire the creativity of children and adults around the world.

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