Origin of Barbie:
Ruth Handler watched her daughter playing with paper dolls, and noticed that she often enjoyed giving them adult roles. At the time, most children's toy dolls were designed to look like babies. Realizing that there could be a gap in the market, Handler suggested the idea of an adult-bodied doll to her husband Elliot, a co-founder of the Mattel toy company.
The doll was given a name, Barbie, after Handler's daughter Barbara and launched in 1959.

Around 350,000 dolls were sold during Barbie’s first year on the market.

About Barbie:
Barbie's full name is Barbara Millicent Roberts.
In a series of novels published by Random House in the 1960s, her parents' names are given as George and Margaret Roberts from the fictional town of Willows, Wisconsin.

Ken Carson, first appeared in 1961.
Like Barbie, Ken shares his name with one of Ruth Handler's children.
Barbie also has numerous Family and Friends that have appeared over the years, such as Kelly, Tommy and Stacie.

Barbie has had over forty Pets including horses, cats, dogs and even a pet dragon!

She has also had numerous Homes including Barbie’s Dream House, Magic House and a vary fashionable Town House.

Barbie's careers are designed to show that women can take on a variety of roles in life.

official Barbie website: Everythinggirl

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