Barbie Debuts On March 9, 1959, Barbie debuted at the New York Toy Fair. The first Barbie wore a black and white striped swimsuit and her signature ponytail. Toy buyers were skeptical because Barbie was unlike the baby and toddler dolls that were popular at the time.

Barbie made her debut in 1959 with a striped swimsuit, blonde ponytail, and red lipstick. "Barbie" star Margot Robbie channeled the look with a black-and-white striped, strapless dress at a press event for the film in June.

Barbie was created by Ruth Handler of Mattel who was the principal architect of the doll's campaign. Handler was inspired by watching her daughter play with paper dolls that resembled adult women. At the time, baby dolls were the popular toy.

Barbie was officially introduced to the world on March 9, 1959. In its first year, 300,000 Barbie dolls were sold. Over the span of her career, Barbie has had over 250 careers. She broke the plastic ceiling when she went to the moon in 1965, four years before Neil Armstrong.

Bar·​bie ˈbär-bē used for a plastic doll in the figure of a stereotypically attractive young woman.

Personality… optimistic, kind, and friendly. For all her beauty and talent, Barbie is shockingly down-to-earth. She considers everyone her friend, and if there's one thing Barbie is about, it's making sure her friends are happy.

The first Barbie doll was introduced in both blonde and brunette on March 9, 1959. Upon her return to the United States, Handler redesigned the doll (with help from local inventor-designer Jack Ryan) and the doll was given a new name, Barbie, after Handler's daughter Barbara.

Over the years, Barbie dolls have developed to comprise a complex – but more stable – chemical cocktail comprising ethylene vinyl acetate arms, acyrylonitrile butadiene styrene torsos, heads of a hard vinyl compound, and outer legs in PVC, although using a different formula from the earlier dolls.

Mattel shut down its last U.S. factory - in Murray, Ky. - in 2001. Barbie, Hot Wheels and other Mattel toys are now made in China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mexico and Thailand. It's a familiar narrative.

Dolls dating from 3000–2000 bc, carved of flat pieces of wood, geometrically painted, with long, flowing hair made of strings of clay or wood beads, have been found in some Egyptian graves. Some ancient dolls may have had religious meaning, and some authorities often argue that the religious doll preceded the toy.

Recognizing a gap in the market, which only offered baby dolls for girls to imagine themselves as caregivers, Ruth invented the fashion doll category with a three-dimensional doll that girls could use to imagine their future selves.

Handler drew inspiration from her daughter Barbara, who would play dress-up with paper dolls. She would eventually name her iconic doll Barbie, after her daughter.

A doll is a toy that looks like a small person, often a baby. When kids play with dolls, they might dress them up, push them in toy strollers, and have pretend tea parties with them.

Barbie is the most diverse fashion doll on the market. Barbie is sold in 150 countries worldwide. Barbie has products in over 50 categories, including food, fitness, and clothing. The Barbie brand has over 99% brand awareness globally.

The earliest materials were rubber and celluloid. From the mid-20th century, soft vinyl became the dominant material, in particular for children's dolls. Beginning in the 20th century, both porcelain and plastic dolls are made directly for the adult collectors market.

Mattel shut down its last U.S. factory - in Murray, Ky. - in 2001. Barbie, Hot Wheels and other Mattel toys are now made in China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mexico and Thailand. It's a familiar narrative.