In 1932, carpenter Ole Kirk Christiansen founded his company in Billund, Denmark with the purpose of encouraging imaginative play and ingenuity among children. He initially made stepladders however, the effects of the Great Depression forced him to adapt and evolve his business model. He turned his attention on the production of toys and developed one of the most adored brands.
Christiansen was a forward-thinker and quick to adapt new materials and technologies. In 1947, he became the first company to acquire a plastic injection molding machine, which greatly increased the options and capabilities of Lego products. The machine also allowed him to test a design that would eventually become an iconic Lego brick. The bricks were hollow at the bottom and had pegs on the top. They were interlocked to let children build intricate structures that were far more intricate than those made by wooden blocks view of previous generations.
The 1950s were a time of growth for the company. Godtfred Kirk Christiansen’s daughter Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen joined the management team, and she began to modernize the manufacturing process of the company. This expansion was accompanied by the launch of a line of dollhouses and furnishings for girls, as well as the first Minifigures as individual figures. In 1979, the company widened its product line to include sets with rockets and astronaut minifigures. They also introduced lunar rovers, spaceships and spaceships.
In 1990, the company introduced three Model Team sets that were designed for advanced builders. These sets introduced small parts such as axles, gears, and levers, and offered the kind of realism and accuracy that was unparalleled in the Lego series at the time.