43 Surprising Things You Probably Didn't Know About Barbie
She's so much more than a pretty face.
Barbie, the movie, has put the iconic doll (back) in the spotlight in a big way — and with so much marketing in the lead-up to the release, you probably feel like you know everything there is to know about Barbie. But the doll has been around for more than 60 years, so there's a lot of history — and its not all about her wardrobe. (Though, we admit, fashion does play a big role.)
We all love Barbie for her signature pink obsession and her ability to navigate trends (good and bad) — and while you might be aware that she's had a lot of careers, from astronaut to doctor, you might be shocked to learn exactly how many jobs this one doll has held. (She had to pay for that Dreamhouse somehow!)
You probably don't know where Barbie and Ken got their names, who Barbie's biggest collector is or how many siblings she has. And fair warning, after reading this, you might want to head to your mom's basement to see if she's got some of the most expensive dolls ... or the best-selling Barbie of all time. Even if you fancy yourself a big fan, we have a feeling there are a few fun facts about Barbie on this list that might surprise you.
Her birthday is March 9, 1959.
Barbie was "born" the day Mattel president and Barbie inventor Ruth Handler debuted the doll at the American International Toy Fair in New York.
She was inspired by paper dolls.
Ruth decided to create a three-dimensional doll when she saw her daughter playing with paper dolls, pretending they were students, cheerleaders and career women.
But she was modeled after a risqué German doll.
Barbie's physical appearance was inspired by Bild Lilli, a German doll created in 1952, which was based on a high-end call girl named Lilli who was featured in the comic-strip Bild-Zeitung. She was sold as an adult novelty in bars and tobacco shops — definitely not as a toy for children. Ruth saw the Bild Lilli doll while on vacation in Europe and brought it home.
Her full name is Barbara Millicent Roberts.
Barbie was named after Ruth and Elliot Handler's daughter, Barbara. Barbara took part in the ceremony immortalizing Barbie's hand and footprints in cement on Hollywood Boulevard in 2002.
Barbie and Ken were named after siblings.
Ken was named for the Handlers' son Kenneth — meaning Barbie and Ken, one of the most famous fictional couples in the world, were actually inspired by a brother and sister.
Barbie and Ken have actually broken up before.
Barbie and Ken severed ties in 2004, then got back together on Valentine's Day 2011. "Barbie" told her Facebook fans that her "heart only beats for Ken."
She had a rebound relationship.
After her breakup with Ken, Barbie had a new male companion doll named Blaine Gordon, a boogie boarder from Australia. A new-and- improved Ken eventually came back into the picture.
She had a book series about her life.
Barbie's backstory was revealed in a Random House book series in the 1960s. The series included the names of her parents, George and Margaret, who have never been released as dolls.
Barbie's a Wisconsin girl.
No wonder she's got that Midwest charm! Barbie was "born" in the fictional town of Willows, Wisconsin.
She comes from a large family.
Barbie has seven siblings. Skipper was introduced in 1964, twins Todd and Tutti were around from 1965 to 1971, Stacie hit shelves in 1990, Kelly was sold from 1994 to 2010 and Chelsea was introduced in 2011 as a replacement for Kelly. Barbie's youngest sister, Krissy, was sold as part of a set with Barbie and Ken from 1998 to 2001.
She has relatives in the U.K.
Barbie has an English cousin named Francie Fairchild, who was sold from 1966 to 1976. Francie hit shelves again in 2011.
Her BFF, Christie, is one of her oldest friends.
Christie, one of the first Black dolls in Barbie world, made her debut in 1968 with "Talking Christie." She's been part of the Barbie squad ever since.
She has famous friends too.
In 1967, supermodel Twiggy became the first celebrity to be immortalized as a Barbie doll. Other celebrity Barbies have included Cher (pictured here), Elizabeth Taylor, Elvis and Priscilla Presley, and Nicki Minaj.
Mattel created the first doll in a wheelchair.
In 1997, the company debuted "Share a Smile Becky," the first fashion doll to come with a wheelchair.
Barbie was an "It" girl from day one.
She was originally marketed as a "Teenage Fashion Model," and around 350,000 dolls were sold during the first year.
And she's still selling out.
Since Mattel created her, generation after generation has enjoyed playing with Barbie. By Barbie's 50th birthday in 2009, over 1 billion models of her had been sold by Mattel. And every three seconds, a Barbie doll is sold somewhere in the world.
Totally Hair Barbie was the most popular ever.
According to Mattel, the best-selling Barbie doll was the Totally Hair doll, which debuted in 1992 — just more proof that America has always been obsessed with hairstyling.
She's not always blonde.
Barbie was available as a blonde or a brunette from the start, but the blonde dolls have always been more popular.
Barbie's shape was actually revolutionary.
Barbie's figure has been criticized, but a voluptuous doll was in stark contrast to the baby and toddler dolls that were previously popular. Handler told the New York Times, "If [a young girl] was going to do role playing of what she would be like when she was 16 or 17, it was a little stupid to play with a doll that had a flat chest. So I gave it beautiful breasts."
She's had work done.
In 1971, Barbie got a makeover when Mattel changed her eyes to look forward rather than giving a sideways glance and introduced a version of the doll with her teeth showing.
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