10 Interesting Facts About the Most Loved Doll, Barbie
We all have played with and owned at least one Barbie doll when we were children. As a little girl, what one always wishes for is a cute little Barbie set to play with all day. Most little girls around the world have been enamored by the magic that this beautiful doll creates in their minds. If ever you had been that little girl who insisted that her parents get her the latest Barbie in town, then you could soothe your nostalgic thoughts with these interesting facts about the world’s most loved toy.
1. When Barbie came out, many people wondered about the unusual name of this doll. Mattel Inc., the company which created this iconic toy revealed that this was the pet name derived from her real name which is a common sounding Barbara Millicent Roberts. Of course, with such a name she wouldn’t have been able to charm young girls across the world, thus the funkier shorter name.
2. She may look like the eternal young beauty who is in the prime of her youth, but the Barbie doll is 54 years of age as she was introduced in the year 1959.
3. Just because she is a doll doesn’t mean she doesn’t have a life of her own. Her life is the stuff that girl’s dreams are made of. Her steady boyfriend, boy doll Ken, first appeared in 1961 and instantly became a hit with girl’s worldwide who wanted to play house with Barbie but were lacking the male doll. To create drama in their lives, the makers of Barbie and Ken split them up after 43 years in 2004.
4. In an effort to inspire young girls around the world to be whatever they wanted to, Mattel Inc. came out with Barbie dolls pursuing different career roles. This doll has dabbled in almost every career imaginable. She has been a fashion model, Olympic athlete, astronaut, teacher, doctor, popstar, lifeguard, navy officer, firefighter, palaeontologist and has even run for the White House twice as “President Barbie”.
5. The first Barbie doll that was sold commercially costed a mere $3 (£2). Nowadays the Doll’s prices are such that young parents shiver when their little daughter insists on getting the latest Barbie set.
