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An Idea Forms
In Denmark, in the year of 1930, the Great Depression hit. Many people were put out of work. Among those out of work was a carpenter who's name was Ole Kirk Christiansen. Sinbce the Great Depressionb was going on, Ole Kirk Christiansen had fewer customers. He started making miniature models of his ware to use as design aids, and that's what gave him the idea to make toys. -
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History of Legos
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A Rough Start
Ole Kirk Christiansen started to make wooden toys of high quality, but due to the Great Depression, he had a hard time selling toys; there mould be times when farmers would trade food for toys. When Yo-yo's first came out, he had a boost off of that, but the yo-yo craze eventually died out. He used the extra yo-yo parts as wheels on trucks -
The Beginning of Lego
Ole Krik Christiansen decided that they needed a company name. He was looking for something that was based off of the Danish phrase "Leg godt" which means "play well". He eventually chose "Lego". It was later found that Lego could be translated into "I assemble" or "I put together" in Latin. -
The Big Gamble
Ole Kirk buys a plastic injection molding machine. It's a gamble because Ole Kirk can see the potential in having a machine like that. He can easily make a lot of the same product with the same quality everytime. That's the good side. The bad side is that at that time the plastic wasn't as good as it is now, and parents wanted their children to have either wood or plastic toys. -
The First Lego Bricks
When the Lego company started out wih their bricks, there were already plastic bricks that were around. Lego took the brick and improved it, calling it "Automatic Binding Bricks". -
New Name
The Lego company changes the name of the "Automatic Binding Bricks" to what they are known as today; Lego bricks. -
Lego Toys become a System
There is a story about Godtfred talking to someone in the toy industry who told him that "toys are no good because they don't have a system" and that really started to get Godtfred thinking. -
The Company is passed on
Ole Kirk Christiansen dies. The company is passed on to his son, Godtfred Kirk Christiansen. -
Lego Starts Improving
Lego patented the design for the modern Lego brick. Inside of the hollow brick, there are now hollow tube for more support. The studs are also put so that when you stick blocks together, they will be more stable. -
The Fire that Changed the Toys
A warehouse fire burned down the old workshop, and it burned up most of the wooden toys. Godtfred decided that they could abandon the wooden toys since people are showing interest in the plastic Lego Bricks. -
Lego Systems now have Instructions
Lego now has instructions within its systems. It is now easier to build more complex designs. -
Legos for Little Kids
Lego now has Duplo for little kids. Duplo Lego bricks are bigger so that it's safer for kids around the age of three to play with. -
Lego Systems for Older People are out
Lego Expert series are now out for older people. These are meant or older, more expert Lego Builders. -
Legos in School
Legos are being used in school by teachers for educational purposes. -
Legoland California
The First Legoland in the USA is opened.
