Ole Kirk Christiansen, a carpenter from Billund in Denmark started his business in 1932, with the intention of encouraging creative play and creativity among children. The company began by manufacturing stepladders. However the Great Depression forced him into an adaptable business model. He turned his attention on the manufacture of toys and in the process, he created one of the most beloved brands in the history of the world.
Christiansen was a forward-thinking person who was quick to adopt new materials and technologies. In 1947, he became the first company to purchase a plastics injection molding machine in the world. This significantly boosted the capabilities and range of Lego products. The machine enabled him to experiment and create the Lego brick. The bricks were hollow at the bottom and had pegs at the top. They interlocked to allow children to create intricate structures that were more complex than the ones made by wooden blocks of previous generations.
The 1950s were a period of growth for the company. Kjeld Kirk Christiansen, Godtfred Kirk Christiansen’s daughter was part of the management team and began modernizing the company’s manufacturing methods. This expansion included the launch of a dollhouse line and furniture for girls as well as the very first minifigures that were sold as individual pieces. In 1979, the company expanded its product line to include sets featuring astronaut minifigures as well as rockets. They also introduced lunar rovers, spaceships and spaceships.
In 1990, the company introduced three Model Team Sets that were made for builders who were advanced. These sets included small parts such as axles, gears, and levers, as well as a degree of realism and accuracy that was unparalleled in the Lego series at the time.