Who was the creator of the "Barbie" doll?

Who was the creator of the “Barbie” doll? Ruth Handler was.

Ruth Handler, an American businesswoman and inventor, developed Barbie while serving as a co-founder and executive of Mattel. She noticed that her daughter Barbara enjoyed giving adult roles to paper dolls, while most commercially available dolls represented babies or young children. Handler saw an opportunity for a doll that allowed girls to imagine grown-up careers and identities.

During a 1956 trip to Europe, Handler encountered Bild Lilli, a German fashion doll. Its adult proportions helped inspire the design of Barbie, although Mattel adapted the concept for the American toy market. The doll was named after Handler’s daughter, Barbara, and debuted at the American International Toy Fair in New York on March 9, 1959.

Barbie was not created by Ruth Handler alone in a literal workshop sense: designer Jack Ryan helped develop the doll’s physical design, and Mattel manufactured and marketed it. Still, Handler is correctly credited as Barbie’s creator and driving force. The first Barbie sold for $3, and Mattel sold about 300,000 during its first year.