The Story of Barbie – July 2023

In her tiny stilettos, Barbara Millicent Roberts-you can call her Barbie-teetered into our lives on March 9, 1959, at the American International Toy Fair in New York. Many of the buyers in attendance passed on the 11.5-inch tall teen that wasn't what the toy world was used to: baby dolls. But not for long. Barbie soon emerged as a toy-selling sensation and cultural icon. Today, she reigns over a multiverse that includes some 45 categories of products, animated shows, streaming movies, and a 2023 feature film directed by Greta Gerwig and starring Margot Robbie as Barbie herself. This is the story of Barbie-the toy that invited millions of fans to live the dream.