Do you remember your first Barbie? Did you know the history behind them?

Barbara Millicent Roberts and Ruth Handler created the Barbie doll which has been famous for over 50 years.

Barbie’s official birthday is on March 9, 1959 and March 9 is officially National Barbie Day. Although toymakers have been mass-producing dolls and toys for years, none of them had mature features prior to Barbie. The mature qualities of the doll made it the first of its kind.

Interestingly, the publicity campaign of Barbie focused heavily on advertisements on television. Barbie, for example, was the Mickey Mouse Club’s sole sponsor, advertising primarily towards children.

Did you know?

One of the creators was Barbra Millicent Roberts, whose nickname was Barbie. She named the doll after herself and named Ken, the male counterpart for the famous doll, was named after her son Kenneth.

According to National Day Calendar (https://rb.gy/2bdcxb), there are a variety of ways you can celebrate National Barbie Day. While you might not be able to visit the largest Barbie Museum in Montreal in person (https://rb.gy/1m0pfe), you can explore the Toy Hall of Fame (https://www.toyhalloffame.org/), discover vintage Barbies that are tucked away in a closet, attic, or basement (they may be worth something), introduce a Barbie doll to a new generation, read Dream Doll: The Ruth Handler Story by Jacqueline Shannon, or throw Barbie a birthday party with all her friends.

Just for today, let your inner child celebrate this day!