who created barbie

Barbie was created by Ruth Handler, an American businesswoman and co-founder of the toy company Mattel. She was inspired to create Barbie after watching her daughter Barbara play with paper dolls that depicted adult women, at a time when most dolls on the market were baby dolls. The doll was named "Barbie" after Handler's daughter Barbara. Ruth Handler developed the concept after encountering the German Bild Lilli doll during a trip to Europe, which influenced Barbie's design. Barbie was officially introduced on March 9, 1959, at the American International Toy Fair in New York City.