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, who
co-founded Mattel, Inc. with her husband (below) in 1945. 
        
        
        
        
        
       

Elliott and Ruth Handler

Mattel’s headquarters and factory near LAX in 1956.

Burns started smoking cigars when he was 14.

On March 9, 1996, the legendary cigar-chomping performer
George Burns dies at his home in Beverly Hills, California,
just weeks after celebrating his 100th birthday.

George Burns is one of the few entertainers whose career
successfully spanned vaudeville, radio, film and television.

 
                                                             Zenith Console Floor Radio
                                                             Model 11S474, 1940s.

Burns and Allen’s radio show was inducted into the National Radio
Hall of Fame in 1994.

Burns is also a member of the Television Hall of Fame, where he
and Gracie Allen were inducted in 1988.

The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show premiered on
CBS on October 12, 1950 and ran through 1958. 

1977