Did you know that the Lego sets you and your children love to play and build things with were the brainchild of one genius of a Danish man who originally made and sold ironing boards, stepladders, and wooden toys? Ole Kirk Christiansen established his humble woodworking firm in the miniature village of Billund, where he and his son Godtfred, who was only 12 years old in 1932, started on constructing their dream into a reality.
Naming the Business
Lego
Two years after the firm was established, the Christiansens named their products Lego, a word coined from "leg godt," a Danish phrase that means "play well." firm was prosperous for the Christiansens, but tragedy struck in 1942 when a blazing fire burned the whole Lego facility down. This did not dampen the family's spirits, though, as soon after, they were producing wooden bricks they called automated Binding Bricks. Not exactly the most captivating name in the world, but these are the predecessors to the contemporary Lego sets.
Shift from Wooden Bricks to Plastic
The former wooden automated Binding Bricks had pegs on top and hollow bottoms. By the early 1950s, the Christiansens were the biggest toy manufacturers in Denmark, having been the first to buy a plastic injection-molding engine for toy-making. Ole, the former founder, was too old to man the business, so Godtfred took over and decided the shift from wooden bricks to plastic. However, the automated Binding Bricks still lacked one potential that makes it separate from the gift Lego brick we all know and love.
The Stud-and-Tube Design
1958 was a year to remember for every person in the Lego family. Ole Christiansen died and the Lego brick we have come to know so well came into existence during that very same year. The firm had finally gotten it right, putting studs on the top of the brick and matching tubes at the bottom. They had this originate patented and are using it up to the present. A Lego brick made today could match a first-rate made in 1958. In 1960, another fire ravaged the Lego facility and they decided to stop producing wooden toys altogether.
Wheel Manufacturers, Too!
Did you know that Lego also produces the top amount of wheels in the world? Lego wheels, that is. In 1961, they man-made their first wheel and are still manufacturing over 300 million Lego wheels today. These are added into 37,000 Lego sets every hour with thousands of other Lego pieces. Years later, in 1967, Lego released Lego Duplo, which is a larger collection more favorable for younger children.
Lego Sets Everywhere
Since then, Lego has made its mark in the lives of both children and adults as one of the best toys ever. The sets began to include mini-figures who had separate skin colors, facial expressions, and hairstyles. The firm began releasing sets based on separate themes, like cities, medieval ages, even dolls, and licensed sets like Harry Potter and Star Wars.
History of Lego Sets: How the fantastic Brick Toy Became a fantastic Household Name
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