This article lists notable events and releases in the history of the Lego Group.
1890–1925
1895:
The woodworking shop, "Billund Woodworking and Carpenter's Shop", which would eventually evolve into the Lego company, is founded in Billund.
1916:
Ole Kirk Christiansen purchases the small woodworking shop in Billund.
1920:
Godtfred Kirk Christiansen is born.
1924:
Ole's shop burns down when a fire ignites some wood shavings. Ole then builds a larger workshop, renting out most of the space, and using the rest for his own shop.
1926–1975
1932:
Ole Kirk Christiansen's shop nearly goes bankrupt in the Great Depression. With a lack of normal carpentry jobs, Ole Kirk starts producing toys, many of which were wooden pull toys.
Wooden Lego yoyo's became an instant hit.
1934:
The company name Lego is coined by Christiansen from the Danish phrase leg godt, meaning "play well".
A fire breaks out in the factory, forcing the company to rebuild.
1943:
The company grows to 40 employees.
1976–2025
1977:
The Lego Technic (known as the Expert Builder) series is launched.
Lego Town is launched.
Lego Boats is launched.
Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen joins the Lego Group management.
Duplo people are introduced.
1978:
Lego introduces the minifigure with movable limbs and hands that can grasp utensils. This was the company's second most important design, after the brick itself.
The Lego wooden Peace Pistol with red wooden projectiles became a huge success.
1947:
Ole purchases the first plastic moulding machine in Denmark, and the company begins manufacturing plastic toys. The Christiansens are inspired by samples of the "Kiddicraft Self-Locking Building Brick", a design patented by the Briton Hilary Fisher Page.[1]
December 27 - Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen is born.
1948:
The company grows to 50 employees.
1949:
Lego begins producing similar plastic bricks, calling them "Automatic Binding Bricks."
1951:
The first ever film about Lego is shot. The photographer is Christian Lund, and the film is black and white with no sound.
1953:
Automatic Binding Bricks are renamed Lego Mursten, or "Lego Bricks."
First baseplates are created.
Godtfred Kirk Christiansen creates "system of play" that leads to the formation of Lego sets.[2]
1954:
Godtfred Kirk Christiansen becomes junior managing director of Lego, and soon has the idea to turn Lego bricks into a building system.
Lego windows and doors are introduced.
The word Lego is officially registered in Denmark.
First beam bricks are released.
1955:
Lego releases its first building "system" of the Town Plan along with 27 other sets.[3]
Lego bricks begin selling better, but are not yet the core Lego product.
Lego first exports toys to Sweden.
Godtfred Kirk Christiansen demonstrates the Lego bricks at a toy fair in Nuremberg, Germany.
First Lego trees are released.
1956:
A sales company for Lego is built in Hohenwestedt, Germany.
1957:
Godtfred Kirk Christiansen is appointed managing director.
First Lego flags, lights, and windows.
1958:
The Lego brick design is improved to allow better versatility and "locking" ability.
Ole Kirk Christiansen dies; Godtfred inherits leadership of the Lego Company.
The Workshop burnt down the third time.
The Lego company patents the stud-and-tube coupling system. This new system makes models much more stable. Sloping roof tile bricks are featured.
The company in Billund grows to 140 employees.
1959:
A small staff at Lego, the "Futura" division, is established to develop ideas for new sets.
Lego begins selling its products in other countries such as Norway, Germany, Switzerland, and the UK.
Lego France, British Lego Ltd., Lego Belgium and Lego Sweden are established.
1960:
February: Another warehouse fire consumes most of Lego inventory of wooden toys.
Production of wooden toys is discontinued; the company changes its focus to the plastic building bricks.
Lego Finland and Lego Netherlands are established.
By the end of the year, the company grows to 450 employees.
1961:
The Lego wheel is introduced.
Sales start in the United States and Canada through a license agreement with Samsonite Corp.
Lego Italy established
1961–1962:
Lego makes an arrangement allowing Samsonite to begin producing and selling Lego products in Canada, an arrangement that would continue until 1988.
1962:
Lego sells toys in Singapore, Hong Kong, Australia, Morocco, and Japan.
Lego 1/3 elements are introduced.
1963:
Cellulose acetate is abandoned in favor of the more stable ABS plastic in making Lego bricks.
Samsonite begins producing Lego bricks under a license in North America.
Lego company grows to 5,000 employees worldwide; 3,000 of them being in Billund.
The gearstick is introduced.
Danish Foreign Minister, Uffe Ellemann-Jensen, opens the Lego Centre at Birkenhead Point in Sydney Australia, the first permanent Lego shop outside Billund.[4]
1986:
Lego Technic robots controlled by computers are placed in schools.
Light and Sound sets are launched of Lego Town and Space themes; these were the first products of the new-generation 9V "Electric System".
Factory in Manaus, Brazil is opened.
Godtfred Kirk Christiansen resigns as chairman of the board of Lego System A/S and Lego Overseas.
