The Story Of Barbie

Magazine

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.