When Ole Kirk Christiansen began making wooden toys, stepladders, and ironing boards at his home workshop in Billund, Denmark, he likely never imagined that his colourful bricks would be one of the most successful toy brands in the world.

But he and his son Godtfred have managed to pull triumph from the jaws of adversity by using Lego in a new direction.

Ole Kirk Christiansen

Ole Kirk Christiansen, a carpenter who lived in a remote village in rural Denmark and turned his love of whittling into one the world's most beloved toys. The building toys, referred to as LEGO bricks, are sold in over 130 countries, are loved by children and adults alike.

The shop he worked in was destroyed in 1924 by an fire that started when two of his sons foolishly ignited wood shavings. Ole returned to his business in spite of the loss of materials. He soon started selling wooden toys.

In the yoyo boom of the 1930s, the manufacturer produced too many yoyos which were unsellable. The company was close to bankruptcy. Luckily, Vejle Bank stepped in by providing a loan, and Ole repaired the facility. Leg Godt, which is Danish meaning "play well" was renamed to reflect the new direction taken by the company.

Godtfred Christiansen

Godtfred Kirk Christiansen, who helped his father transform his wooden toy business into a global toy empire, passed away at his residence in Billund, Denmark. He was 75 years old.

Godtfred decided to concentrate the business on plastic toys following a fire caused destruction to his family's wooden warehouse. His brothers, Karl and Gerhardt--who had been the directors of plastic and wood product manufacturing respectively--disagreed.

During a ferry ride to the London toy fair, Godtfred was able to meet one of the buyers who suggested that rather than creating exclusive toys, manufacturers must develop a system where sets of toys interlocked. This led to the invention of the modern Lego design with tubes and studs, which was patented on 28th January 1958.

The Kiddicraft Brick

In the 1940s, a company known as Kiddicraft released the "Kiddicraft Self-Locking Building Bricks". The blocks were rectangular hollow plastic with four studs on the top. Each stud was inserted into blocks' studs which allowed them to be placed in a solid manner.

Kirk Christiansen, Godtfred and Godtfred, a British manufacturer of the first injection molding machine were shown the bricks by the salesman to show the types of toys that they could design. Whether Kirk knew that these bricks were patented or not they were, he copied them and named them Lego. This was the beginning of a toy industry that is still worth billions in the present. Hilary Fisher Page, the founder of Kiddicraft, committed suicide in 1957.

Machine for molding plastic

The Lego bricks have become one of the most recognizable toys in the world. The fact that these bricks are strong and durable and child-friendly, is the reason for their popularity. Children have created everything from spaceships and cities using these blocks.

Godtfred's concept for the stud-and-tube system was a result of an interaction with a toy buyer. The buyer suggested that toy makers come up with a system that allows sets of toys could be connected and utilized to construct different kinds of structures. This led to the creation of the Lego system. Sets containing furniture pieces and dollhouses were introduced in 1971. Additionally, the Lego's transportation options were expanded by ships and boat sets that included hull pieces floating.

The Town Plan

In the 1980s, Lego established a new benchmark with its Technic series, which featured intricate mechanical parts, and nine years later, the company introduced the smiling yellow Minifigure citizens that now are featured in its themed play sets. Lego also introduced Duplo that same year as an expanded line of blocks designed for kids who have difficulty handling the first small bricks.

In the present, Lego is a global toy empire that has 10 theme parks and an animated movie franchise. Lego is also a company that has maintained an overwhelmingly loyal customer base despite this expansion. Lego is renowned for its loyal customers due to the fact that it feels more like an old friend than a commercial company.

The Ninjago theme

Lego has become something more than just an ordinary toy. In 1998 Lego was named Toy of the Century. It topped teddy bears and Barbie. Today, the company has a huge media empire, with books, TV shows, and theme parks.

The company also offers an item called Mindstorms of programmable robotics which has helped shape its education strategy. Seymour Papert, the founder of constructionism and the company's educational philosophy believes that children are most effective when they create things.

The Ninjago theme is now a major focus at Lego fan events and the movie has spurred the creation of huge collaborative builds. The style of the first collection, Ninjago City 70620, has also inspired other LEGO themes.

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