history: LEGO group timeline 20th century 1980s

for anyone curious about what LEGO has done for about 117 years.here is the time line. taken from wikipedia.

20th century

1980s

1980:Lego establishes the Educational Products Department.New factories are opened in Switzerland and Jutland, Denmark.It is revealed in a survey that seventy percent of all Western European families with kids under fourteen own Lego bricks.Lego train tracks are introduced.

1981: The second generation of Lego trains is produced, including a wider variety of accessories.

1982:Expert Builder series matured and became Technic.The Lego Group celebrates its 50th anniversary on August 13th.The book, 50 years of play is published.Lego South Africa is established.First Lego wind-up engine.

1983:Lego launches the Duplo Baby series.The company grows to 3,700 employees worldwide.

1984:Lego Castle series is launched.Lego pneumatics are added to the Technic series.Lego Brazil is established.Lego Korea is established.

1985:Light & Sound sets are introduced.Lego company grows to 5,000 employees worldwide; 3,000 of them being in Billund.The gearstick is introduced.

1986:Lego Technic robots controlled by computers are placed in schools.Light and Sound sets are launched of Lego Town and Space themes.Another factory in Manaus, Brazil is opened.Godtfred Kirk Christiansen resigns as chairman of the board of Lego System A/S and Lego Overseas.Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen takes over for Godtfred Kirk Christiansen.

1987:Forestman, Crusaders, and Black Knights, sub-lines of Lego Castle, are introduced.Blacktron I and Futuron, sub-lines of Lego Space, are introduced.Lego reaches almost 6,000 employees.Lego South Africa is closed.Lego Club is established.

1988:The first Lego World Cup building contest is held in Billund.Lego Canada is established.The "Brick Separator" is introduced.

1989:Lego Pirates theme is launched.Lego Educational Products Department is renamed Lego Dacta.Brick Kicks, the first official Lego Club magazine, is introduced.Space Police I, a sub-line of Lego Space is introduced.

history: LEGO group timeline 20th century 1970s

for anyone curious about what LEGO has done for about 117 years.here is the time line. taken from wikipedia.

20th century

1970s

1970: The company grows to 1,000 employees.

1971: Lego introduces furniture pieces and dollhouses for girls.

1972: Lego added boat and ship sets, with hull pieces that actually floated.Lego Samsonite license agreement endsLego USA established in Brookfield, Connecticut.

1974:Lego figures are launched, starting with the Lego family.Bricks and Pieces, the first official Lego newsletter, is introduced in the United Kingdom.Lego Spain is established.

1975:The company grows to 2,500 employees.The Expert Series sets are introduced.

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 mini-figures with movable limbs and hands that can grasp utensils. This was the company's second most important design, after the brick itself.Lego Castle is introduced.Lego Space is introduced.


1979:Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen becomes president of Lego.Lego introduces the Fabuland and Scala themes.Lego Singapore is established.

history: the early days of legoland billund

image courtesy of perryolf

these pictures found on perryolf's flickr album. just want to share about legoland in its first season. thank you for perryolf for uploading the pictures for bringing the old time memories. legoland first opened in 1968 in billund, denmark. on first day opening, there were 3000 visitors.

history: LEGO group timeline 20th century 1960s

for anyone curious about what LEGO has done for about 117 years.here is the time line. taken from wikipedia.

20th century

1960s

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 license in North America.Lego Austria is established.The Lego Group starts Modulex.

1964:The first Lego sets containing instruction manuals are introduced.Lego sells toys in Lebanon.A production plant, Lego Werkzeugbau GmbH, is opened in Hohenwehenstedt, Germany.

1965:The company in Billund grows to more than 600 employees.

1966:One of Lego most successful series, the Lego train system is released. Initial train sets include a 4.5-volt motor and rails.Lego is now sold in 42 countries.

1967: First Lego hinges.

1968:Train sets with a 12-volt motor are introduced.On June 7, the Legoland Park in Billund is opened, at which 3,000 people visit on the opening day.

image courtesy of perryolf

Lego bricks with magnets are introduced.

1969:The Duplo system, using larger bricks and targeting younger children but also compatible with existing Lego bricks, is released.The company in Billund grows to 843 employees.