Ole Kirk Christiansen, a carpenter from Billund in Denmark founded his company in 1932, with the intention to encourage imaginative play and a sense of wonder in children. He initially made stepladders however, the effects of the Great Depression forced him to be flexible and adapt his business model. He shifted his focus to the manufacturing of toys and developed one of the most adored brands.

Christiansen was click for more info a forward-thinker and quick to embrace new technologies and materials. In 1947, he was the first company to purchase an injection molding machine made of plastic in the world. This significantly increased the range of capabilities and options for Lego products. The machine also let him test a design that would eventually become the 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 more complex than the ones made with wooden blocks from earlier generations.

The 1950s were a period that saw the business expand. Godtfred Kirk Christiansen’s daughter Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen joined the managerial staff and began to modernize the company’s manufacturing techniques. This expansion was accompanied by the launch of a line of dollhouses and furniture for girls and the first minifigures that were sold as individual pieces. In 1979, the company branched out into space, with sets that included astronaut minifigures as well as rockets, lunar rovers and spaceships, as well as into medieval territory with a Castle theme.

In 1990, the company released three Model Team sets that were specifically designed for builders with advanced skills. These sets introduced small parts like gears, axles and levers, as well as a degree of realism and accuracy that was unheard of in the Lego series at the time.