In 1959, Barbie® doll took the world by storm, surprising skeptical toy critics at New York's Toy Fair. Soon, little girls across America, and later, the world, were singing Barbie® doll’s praises. In the coming years, both adults and children alike would collect their favorite doll in record numbers. Five decades later, Barbie® doll remains one of the hottest selling toys in the world.

Like any other great invention, Barbie® doll began as an idea in a visionary's head. Ruth Handler, co-founder of Mattel Toys, was watching her daughter Barbara play with paper dolls and imagine them in grown-up roles when the idea hit her - why not make a teenage doll that little girls could play with? After researching the current doll market, Ruth confirmed that while there were plenty of baby dolls available, there were no three-dimensional teenage dolls. She then resolved to create such a doll through her own company, which she co-founded with her husband Elliott Handler.

Ruth and Elliott unveiled the very first Barbie® doll, the teenage fashion model, at New York's annual Toy Fair in 1959. Initially, toy buyers were skeptical. Never before had anyone seen a doll so small, yet so sophisticated. As a teenager, Barbie® doll was completely unlike any of the baby or toddler dolls popular at the time. Critics posed the question - Would anyone buy this new doll?

Undaunted by skepticism, Mattel stood firmly behind the first Barbie® doll, launching an innovative television ad campaign. The doll quickly caught the attention of little girls across the country. Soon, the small, sophisticated doll became a worldwide sensation, and remains the top fashion doll today.

With such humble beginnings as a teenage fashion model, Barbie® doll has transformed into best friend, confidante, and fearless adventurer. And while the doll’s next adventure continues to unfold, one thing’s for sure. The Most Collectible Doll in the World® has cemented her place in pop culture history -- yesterday, today, and tomorrow.