In what year did the Lego Duplo line launch?

The LEGO DUPLO line launched in 1969.

DUPLO was created to make LEGO-style construction more suitable for preschool children. Its bricks are twice the size of standard LEGO bricks in each dimension, making them easier for small hands to handle and reducing the risk associated with small pieces.

The larger format was not a separate, incompatible toy system. Designers developed it so DUPLO elements could interlock with standard LEGO bricks, allowing younger children to build at their own scale and later combine their creations with regular LEGO elements. The name DUPLO reflects the Latin-root idea of “double.”

Development took place before the global launch: the new bricks were tested on the Swedish market in 1968, then introduced worldwide the following year. Sets 510 and 511 were among the first DUPLO sets. Figures did not arrive immediately; the first simple DUPLO figure appeared later, in 1977.