In 1938 Mattel was formed by two life long friends, Harold Matson and Elliot Handler. When Mattel was originally formed, they were not a toy maker. Mattel began as a picture frame manufacturer. Later, they began to make doll furniture.
Elliot Handler was married and had a daughter Barbara that enjoyed playing with adult dolls, but there were no dolls like that on the market. On a visit to Europe, Mrs. Handler found a German doll named "Lilli" in a store. When Mrs. Handler returned back home, Lilli was a hit with Barbara. That gave Mattel an idea. They bought the marketing rights to Lilli, and changed her name to Barbie, named after their daughter Barbara. Barbie was introduced to the world at the New York International Toy Fair in March, 1959. Actually, March 9, 1959 is Barbie's official birthdate.
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