Mattel first released the Barbie fashion doll in 1959.
Ruth Handler developed the idea after observing her daughter, Barbara, play with paper dolls and imagine adult roles. Handler proposed a three-dimensional adult fashion doll to Mattel, the toy company she co-founded with Elliot Handler and Harold Matson. Mattel introduced Barbie at the American International Toy Fair in New York on March 9, 1959.
The doll was named after Barbara Handler, Ruth's daughter. Its full original name was Barbara Millicent Roberts, and early packaging described her as a teenage fashion model. The first Barbie wore a black-and-white striped swimsuit and came with either blonde or brunette hair.
Barbie's launch date is often confused with later character additions. Ken, named after Ruth and Elliot Handler's son, was introduced in 1961. Over subsequent decades, Barbie gained many careers, fashions, friends, and redesigned body types.