Ole Kirk Christiansen, a carpenter from Billund in Denmark established his company in 1932, with the intention of encouraging creative play and a sense of wonder in children. The company began by manufacturing stepladders. However, the Great Depression forced him into an adaptable business model. He shifted his focus on the production of toys and created one of history’s most beloved brands.

Christiansen was a naive man who was quick to embrace new materials and technologies. In 1947, he became the first company in the world to buy a plastic injection molding machine which dramatically increased the selection and capabilities of Lego products. The machine let him play around with and develop the Lego brick. The bricks were hollow on the bottom and had pegs on the top. They interlocked to allow children to build intricate structures that were far more intricate than those built with wooden blocks from earlier generations.

The 1950s saw a period of expansion for the company. Kjeld Kirk Christiansen, Godtfred Kirk Christiansen’s http://www.lego-x.com/2023/05/11/danish-entrepreneur-adapted-the-lego-business-model-to-survive daughter, joined the management team and started modernizing the manufacturing techniques of the company. The expansion also included the introduction of a line of dollhouses and furnishings for girls, and the first Minifigures as individual figures. In 1979, the company expanded into space by introducing sets of astronaut minifigures, rockets, lunar rovers, and spaceships and into the medieval realm with a Castle theme.

In 1990, the company launched three Model Team sets that were made for advanced builders. These sets included small parts such as levers, axles, gears, and other parts. They were the first Lego sets to offer a level of realism and accuracy.