Ruth Handler, an American businesswoman, watched her daughter Barbara at play
paper dolls, and noticed that she often enjoyed giving them adult roles. At the time, most children's toy dolls were representations of infants. Realizing that there could be a gap
the market, she suggested the idea of an adult-bodied doll
her husband Elliot, a co-founder
the Mattel toy company. He was unenthusiastic about the idea, as were Mattel's directors. But during a trip
Germany
1956 with her children Barbara and Kenneth, Ruth Handler discovered a German doll called the Bild Lilli doll
a shop window. The adult-figured Lilli doll was exactly what Handler had
mind, so she purchased three of them. She gave one
her daughter and took the others back
Mattel. The Lilli doll was based
a popular character appearing in a comic strip of a German newspaper. Lilli was a working girl who knew what she wanted and was not above using men to get it. The Lilli doll was first sold
Germany
1955, and although it was initially sold to adults, it became popular
children who enjoyed dressing her up in outfits that were available separately. On her return
the United States, Handler reworked the design of the doll and it was given a new name, Barbie, after Handler's daughter Barbara. The doll made its debut at the American International Toy Fair in New York
March 9, 1959. This date is also used as Barbie's official birthday.
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbie
