On March 9, 1959, the first Barbie doll went on display at the American Toy
Fair in New York City.

Eleven inches tall, with a waterfall of blond hair, Barbie was the first mass-
produced toy doll in the United States with adult features. The woman
behind Barbie was Ruth Handler (below), who co-founded Mattel, Inc. with
her husband in 1945. After seeing her young daughter ignore her baby dolls
to play make-believe with paper dolls of adult women, Handler realized there
was an important niche in the market for a toy that allowed little girls to
imagine the future.

Barbie’s appearance was modeled on a doll named Lilli, based on a German
comic strip character.

Mattell founders Ruth and Elliot Handler with a Barbie doll.

Ruth Marianna Handler(Mosko)
(November 4, 1916 – April 27, 2002)