From 1932 to the present, the LEGO Group has been creating toys that delight and inspire people of all ages to build whatever their imagination can dream up. LEGO toys seem timeless, best shown by the fact that a LEGO brick made in 1958 will still work perfectly with LEGO bricks made in 2009. Follow the timeline below to learn more about the history of the LEGO Group.
| 1932 |
Ole Kirk Christiansen founds what becomes the LEGO Group in
Billund, Denmark |
| 1934 |
Christiansen combines and
abbreviates two Danish words,
LEG GODT ("play well"), into LEGO. |
| 1950 |
Ole Kirk Christiansen steps down from
LEGO Group. His son, Godtfred Kirk Christiansen, takes over. |
| 1955 |
LEGO Group introduces the "LEGO System
of Play" with the first "play and learn" concept. This promotes the
company's goal of emphasizing learning through play. |
| 1958 |
The unique interlocking LEGO Brick is
launched. Bricks made in 1958 are still fully compatible with the ones
being made in 2008. |
| 1962 |
Godtfred Kirk Christiansen begins to
experiment with using motors with LEGO elements. |
| 1966 |
The LEGO train is introduced. It has its
own rails, and a 4.5-volt motor. |
| 1968 |
LEGOLAND Park opens in Billund,
Denmark. |
| 1969 |
LEGO DUPLO is launched. These blocks are
created with the small hands of children in mind; each block is much
bigger than its regular LEGO Block counterpart. |
| 1974 |
Role play and personality are added to
LEGO with the first appearance of LEGO figures. |
| 1979 |
Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen, Godtfred's son,
becomes president and CEO of the LEGO Group. The LEGO Space series is
also launched. |
| 1986 |
LEGO TECHNIC Computer Control is one of
the first big results of the partnership with MIT. |
| 1994 |
LEGO TECHNIC Supercar is launched, much
to the delight of young fans of motoring. LEGO BELVILLE also begins.
This product involves families, horses, and later princesses, fairies,
and butterflies. |
| 1995 |
Products for children in the 0–2
age group are launched under the name LEGO PRIMO. |
| 1996 |
A new LEGOLAND Park opens in Windsor, Britain. |
| 1998 |
 The
partnership between LEGO Group and MIT produces LEGO MINDSTORMS, which
enables the creation and programming of intelligent LEGO
models. The FIRST LEGO League is created. FIRST stands "For
Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology." This is a
worldwide technology tournament in which school children build their
own robots using LEGO MINDSTORMS to compete against each
other. LEGO Group signs an agreement with Lucasfilm Ltd. to
create a series of LEGO sets based on the Star Wars movies. |
| 1999 |
A new LEGOLAND Park opens in Carlsbad,
California. |
| 2001 |
BIONICLE, a combination of story,
construction toys, and action figures is launched. |
| 2002 |
A new LEGOLAND Park opens in
Günzburg, Germany. |
| 2006 |
LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT launches. This
updated version allows for the construction and programming of robots
in as little as 30 minutes. Robots now have the ability to see, hear,
speak, feel, and move. FIRST LEGO League Tournament finals takes
place in Atlanta, Georgia. 80 teams
of children from 30 countries compete. |
| 2008 |
LEGO Group launches
minifigures, vehicles, and sets based on the Indiana Jones series of
movies |
