In honor of this special day, we're going to be taking a look at everything Barbies. We'll start by exploring the history of Barbie, and then move on to discussing her influence on popular culture. Finally, we'll take a look at some of the changes that have been made to Barbie over the years.

History

Barbie is a doll manufactured by the American toy company Mattel, Inc. and launched in March 1959. Barbie is among the world's most popular fashion dolls, with an estimated billion Barbie dolls sold.

Barbie was created and designed by Ruth Handler, and its name was coined after Ruth's daughter, Barbara. After Ruth saw her daughter playing with paper dolls, she realized that there is a market for dolls that resemble real-life people. This led her to design Barbie, and the rest is history!

Jack Ryan, Mattel's VP of research & development, helped design Barbie, and they introduced her to the world at the New York Toy Fair on March 9, 1959. Their aim is to create a toy that would help little girls imagine their future and give them the dream to explore different careers.

Barbie was an instant hit and soon became a global phenomenon. In fact, her popularity is so immense that she has even been featured in the Guinness World Records book!

On Popular Culture

Barbie has had a significant influence on popular culture. She has appeared on TV shows, movies, and even video games.

• In 1985, the first fashion partnership of Barbie was created with designer Oscar de la Renta, a famous fashion designer. This partnership created a fashion line of designer clothes for our favorite doll. With her jewel tone and metallic outfits, Barbie has once again ignited young girls' love for fashion.
• Although he's most recognized for his successful commercial illustrations, Andy Warhol is also renowned for creating images of American icons. In 1986, when Warhol depicted Barbie, she became the latest addition to the list. The first Barbie portrait was said to have been inspired by Warhol's muse Billy Boy, a jewelry designer and member of New York's downtown scene.
• In 1997, Aqua released the europop dance song “Barbie Girl”, inspired by the Barbie doll and her depiction in mainstream media. 
• Barbie has also her own multimedia franchise, starting with Barbie in the Nutcracker, released in 2001. 
• In the movie Toy Story 2 & 3, Barbie is one of the toys that Andy donates to Sunnyside Daycare. At Sunnyside, Barbie quickly becomes friends with Ken, and the two of them eventually become leaders of the toys.

All in all, her legacy and influence have become a cultural icon, a feat unique in the toy industry. 

Changes Over the Years

The original Barbie doll wore a black-and-white zebra-striped swimsuit and signature high heels. She had a ponytail, and the overall design was based on a doll named Lilli, a comic strip character for the German newspaper Bild.

Barbie's been around for over 60 years. That's a lot of time to be changing! Since her debut in 1959, Barbie has undergone a number of changes.

• 1965 - Barbie went beyond the Milky Way four years before man first set foot on the moon. Miss Astronaut Barbie celebrated the thrill of space exploration and new frontiers by posing in a trendy space suit and helmet. She demonstrated to young women that they could pursue their dreams by appearing in a fashionable space costume and helmet.
• 1967 - The first celebrity Barbie doll was modeled on Twiggy, a British fashion model. The original Twiggy doll had similar Twiggy cosmetics and started a long line of dolls that resemble celebrities. This version of the Barbie doll had similar Twiggy cosmetics with a mini dress with yellow, green, and blue vertical stripes.
• 1968 - In support of equal rights, Barbie introduced Christie as one of the first black dolls. Christie was created as a pal for Barbie and came with a mod-inspired swimsuit and a short '60s hairstyle.
• 1980 - During this time, multiple pals of Barbie with different ethnicity were available. For this year, Mattel issued the first black and Hispanic version of Barbie.
• 1985 - Day-to-Night Barbie shattered the glass ceiling as a CEO. From her pink power suit to having a fun night out, Day-to-Night Barbie was able to go from running the boardroom to going about her business. She recognized the era's workplace revolution and demonstrated that girls could do anything. Also in 1985, Barbie launched the "We Girls Can Do Anything" campaign.
• 1992 - Barbie's first version as a President was created. This doll was given a red gown for the inaugural ball and a business suit for her job in the Oval Office. Mattel also released an all-female ticket to accompany president Barbie. This is to encourage girls to believe they can achieve anything--including being the leader of the free world.
• 2015 - Barbie recognized female role models who break boundaries and expand possibilities for women everywhere. Each Shero honoree had a one-of-a-kind doll modeled after them, including Trisha Yearwood, Sydney Keiser, Kristin Chenoweth, Eva Chen, Emmy Rossum, and Ava DuVernay.
• 2016 - Barbies latest makeover has three additional body types: curvy, petite, and tall. This year, Time magazine featured Barbie on its cover as a result of this innovation.
• 2018 - In March 2018, Mattel introduced a new line of toys called "Barbie Inspiring Women" that included Amelia Earhart, Katherine Johnson, and Frida Kahlo. This doll line is part of Mattel's international effort to increase female empowerment and shine a light on role models from the past and present.

Conclusion

In honor of National Barbie Day, we want to celebrate all the amazing things Barbie has done for young girls over the years. She's been a role model for generations, showing girls that they can be anything they want to be.

With her changing looks and inspiring messages behind them, Barbie is sure to continue to empower young women for many years to come.

Barbie is more inclusive than ever before, with her latest makeover including three new body types. She will surely continue to inspire young women to break boundaries and achieve their dreams.