a brief history of the creation of the lego constructor
Ole Kirk Christiansen is a carpenter who hails from Billund in Denmark. He began making wooden toys in 1932, but his company was a struggle during the Great Depression. Christiansen changed the company’s name to “Lego,” which is an abbreviation for leg godt (which means “play well” in Danish).
In 1934, Lego began using plastic bricks in its production. The first Lego sets were also marketed. The company also launched a new division known as Dakta which would concentrate on educational products.
In the second part of the 20th century, Lego expanded its product range and marketing efforts. In 1971, Lego introduced dollhouses, furniture pieces, and in 1974 first Lego human figures. Later, these minifigures evolved into the model we use today. Lego began to develop more sophisticated Lego Technic sets for older children.
In 1987, Lego introduced the World Cup Lego building contest for children to compete in. The event was held in Billund and 38 kids from 17 countries participated. That same year Lego also began to develop dedicated theme sets that were viewed as systems within the Lego system, like Lego Space, Lego Castle, Lego Town (later renamed Lego City) and Lego FabuLand. In 1988, Lego released a new line of pirate Legos, which featured facial features of various types and expressions.
In 1999, Lego changed the way it licensed characters from franchises. It began offering Lego versions of characters such as Spider-Man and Star Wars. Harry Potter, Avatar: The Last Airbender and many more. Both critics and fans were averse to this new development.