What started in the work shop of a Danish toymaker, Ole Kirk Christiansen, has now evolved into a simple and beloved toy regardless of age and location. It's hard to imagine that the little plastic brick came about through making wooden toys but that was how it began. The company was named after a Danish phrase, leg godt, which translated to play well.
The first official plastic brick was made in 1949 by Lego and when Christiansen's company was passed down to his son Godfred, the lego brick with interlocking studs that you recognise today was patented. The simple toy bricks' popularity soon spread throughout Europe and in 1969, bigger brick were introduced for younger kids who struggled to play with regular sized legos.
Most would then inevitably remember playing with Lego bricks as a part of their childhood and to this day, this still holds true.
In the 70s, Lego would go on to produce the signature smiling minifigures that you know and love and became common part of Lego play sets. As the company and technology evolved more customisation took place and a whole new world of creation and imagination was born. Lego has remained iconic and a part of our culture with many lego sets breaking world records and astounding the kids of today.
These days, you can find a customised lego minifigures for every show, movie, comic book character that you love and the lego brick isn't just limited to children anymore. With the rise of the internet, Adult Fans of Legos (AFOLs) can connect through online groups or social media to share their love of lego. Whether someone is a collector of themed minifigures or a builder of fantastical lego sets, they'll be able to reach across to globe to find someone with tips to help their craft or simply a friend who understands their passion for these unassuming brick toys.
To this day, Christiansen's decendants remain as the head of the company. Just like a wooden toy shop passed from father to son, from generation to generation, many adults remember fondly their time in their youth playing with lego and are now passing that joy down to their children.