The Story

Written by Peter Li-Chang Kuo ( Chinese ) “ Barbie Dolls ” were invented by Ruth Handler (1916–2002). Launched in 1959, they quickly swept the world and became the dream toy of countless little girls. Ruth Handler and her husband, Elliot Handler (1916–2011), co-founded Mattel, Inc. She served as chairwoman from 1945 to 1975 and was inducted into the U.S. Business Hall of Fame for her contributions to the economy and society. Fig 1: Ruth Handler with Barbie (from the internet) Barbie’s legs can bend into many charming poses because they contain a “ leg armature .” Children breaking Barbie’s legs, however, was Mattel’s greatest headache — one that could not be solved for more than a decade. In November 1982, I solved the problem in " ten seconds ." Production went from one piece every 15 minutes to four pieces every 15 seconds, with " zero defects " — so strong that even the roughest children could not break them. Fig 2: Barbie leg armature improved by Li-C...