Skipper. Midge. Ken. Barbie. Everyone knows these names, but you know the name of Ruth Handler? You should, it was the Barbie and her friends launched in 1959. Ruth was the wife of Elliot Handler, co-founder of Mattel toy company. In 1954, Ruth noticed that her daughter, Barbara, has often given roles adult paper dolls when she played with them. At the time the market was flooded with baby dolls just like Chatty Cathy, to Ruth approached her husband and suggested that a statement Mattel doll, the older girls who want to play with. He rejected the idea, and the directors of Mattel were not thrilled with how well, to say the least.
Fast forward to 1956. On holiday in Europe with her children, Ruth stumbled on a German doll named Lilli image. This doll was exactly what Ruth had in mind when they first approached Mattel, so she bought one for her daughter and two take on Mattel. When she returned to the United States, the new Ruth doll and gave it a new name, Barbie, after her daughter. The first Barbie doll was launched at the American International Toy Fair 9th March, 1959. As they say, the rest was history.
