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Timeline of Lego

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This article lists notable events in the timeline of the Lego Company.

19th century

1890s

20th century

1910s

1920s

  • 1924: Ole Kirk's shop burns down when a fire ignites some wood shavings. Ole Kirk builds a larger workshop, renting out most of the space, and using the rest for his own shop.

1930s

  • 1932: Ole Kirk Christiansen, opens his shop in the village of Billund, Denmark. The shop produces its first toys.
  • 1934: The company name LEGO is coined by Christiansen from the Danish phrase leg godt, meaning "play well".
  • 1935: The LEGO Duck is featured.

1940s

  • 1942: A fire breaks out in the factory, forcing the company to rebuild.
  • 1943: The company grows to 40 employees.
  • 1947: Ole Kirk purchases the first plastic moulding machine in Denmark, and the company begins manufacturing plastic toys. The Christiansens are inspired by samples of the "Kiddicraft Self-Locking Building Brick", a design patented by the Briton Mr. Harry Fisher Page.[1]
  • 1949: Lego begins producing similar plastic bricks, calling them "Automatic Binding Bricks."

1950s

  • 1953: Lego bricks are renamed Lego Mursten, or "Lego Bricks."
  • 1954:
  • Godtfred Kirk Christiansen becomes junior managing director of Lego, and soon has the idea to turn Lego bricks into a toy system.
  • LEGO windows and doors are introduced.
  • Lego releases its first toy "system" of the Town Plan.
  • Lego bricks begin selling better, but are not yet the core Lego product.
  • The brick design is improved to allow better versatility and "locking" ability.
  • Ole Kirk Christiansen passes away; Godtfred inherits leadership of the Lego Company.
  • The LEGO company patents the stud-and-tube coupling system. This new system makes models much more stable. Sloping roof tile bricks are featured.
  • A small staff at Lego, the "Futura" division, is established to develop ideas for new sets.
  • Lego begins selling its products in other countries such as Norway, Germany, Switzerland, and the UK.

1960s

  • 1960: Another warehouse fire consumes most of Lego inventory of wooden toys. Production of wooden toys is disontinued; the company changes its focus to the plastic building bricks. By the end of the year, the company grows to 450 employees.
  • 1961: The wheel is introduced.
  • 1961–1962: Lego makes an arrangement allowing Samsonite to begin producing and selling Lego products in Canada, an arrangement that would continue until 1988.
  • 1963: Cellulose acetate is abandoned in favor of the more stable ABS plastic in making Lego bricks. Lego Samsonite is intoduced.
  • 1964: The first Lego sets containing instruction manuals are introduced.
  • 1965: Lego Samsonite is discontinued.
  • 1966: One of Lego's most successful series, the Lego train system is released. Initial train sets include a 4.5-volt motor and rails.
  • 1968: Train sets with a 12-volt motor are introduced. On June 7, the Legoland Park in Billund is opened, in which 3,000 people visit on the opening day.
  • 1969: The Duplo system, using larger bricks and targeting younger children but also compatible with existing Lego bricks, is released. Lego Train is intoduced.

1970s

  • 1973: All Lego products are placed under one logo, a red square with the word, Lego, in white bordered by black and yellow.
  • 1974: Lego figures are launched, starting with the Lego family. Bricks and Pieces, the first official LEGO newletter, is introduced in the United Kingdom.
  • 1975: The company grows to 2,500 employees.
  • 1977: The Lego Technic series is launched. Lego Town is also introduced. Lego Boats is introduced.
  • 1978: Lego introduces mini-figures with movable limbs and hands that can grasp utensils. This was the company's second most important design, after the brick itself.
  • 1979: Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen becomes president of Lego. Lego introduces the Space, Fabuland, and Scala themes.

1980s

  • 1980: Lego establishes the Educational Products Department. New factories are opened in Switzerland and Jutland, Denmark. It is revealed in a survey that seventy percent of all Western European families with kids under fourteen own LEGO bricks.
  • 1981: The second generation of Lego trains is produced, including a wider variety of accessories.
  • 1983: Lego launches the Duplo Baby series. The company grows to 3,700 employees.
  • 1984: The Lego Castle series is launched. Lego pneumatics are added to the Technic series.
  • 1986: Lego Technic robots controlled by computers are placed in schools. Light and Sound sets are launched of Lego Town and Space themes. Another factory in Manaus, Brazil is opened.
  • 1988: The first Lego World Cup building contest is held in Billund. Lego Canada is established.
  • 1989: The Lego Pirates theme is launched. The Lego Educational Products Department is renamed Lego Dacta. Brick Kicks, the first official LEGO Club magazine, is introduced.

1990s

  • 1990: Lego Model Team sets are released. Lego is one of the top 10 toy companies of 1990. Lego Malaysia is established.
  • 1991: Lego Paradisa is introduced.
  • 1992: Lego sets two Guinness World Records. Paradisa and Duplo Toolo sets are introduced. On Swedish television, the world's largest LEGO Castle is built.
  • 1995: The Lego Primo series is introduced. Lego Aquazone is introduced.
  • 1996: The Windsor Legoland Park is opened in the UK. The Lego Watch System is launched. Lego Western is launched. [www.lego.com LEGO.com] is launched. Lego Boats is discontinued.
  • 1997: Lego launches its first computer game, Lego Island. Lego introduces fiber-optic elements. Lego Paradisa is discontinued.
  • 1998: Lego launches the Lego Creator, Loco, and Chess computer games. Lego introduces beige bricks. Lego Adventurers and Insectoids series are introduced. Lego releases Mindstorms, a programmable computerized brick with Lego-compatible sensors and motors. The red Lego logo introduced in 1973 is updated. Lego Town is discontinued.
  • 1999: Legoland California opens in Carlsbad, California. The Lego Rock Raiders series is introduced. Lego produces a Star Wars theme with Lucasfilm, beginning a trend of licensed Lego products.

21st century

2000s

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