In what year was the first Barbie doll released?

The first Barbie doll was released in 1959. Mattel introduced her at the American International Toy Fair in New York on March 9 of that year, a date that is also treated as Barbie’s official birthday.

The doll was created by Ruth Handler, who saw that children often enjoyed imaginative role-play with dolls representing adults. Handler drew inspiration from Bild Lilli, a German fashion doll first sold in 1955, then worked with Mattel designer Jack Ryan to develop the American version.

Barbie was named after Handler’s daughter, Barbara. Her debut helped establish the fashion-doll category and launched a product line that expanded into clothing, accessories, television, films and video games. A frequent mix-up is 1961, the year Ken was introduced—not the year Barbie herself first appeared.