Ole Kirk Christiansen, a carpenter from Billund in Denmark, founded his company in 1932 with the goal of encouraging inventive play and creativity among children. At first, he made stepladders, however, the effects of the Great Depression forced him to be flexible and adapt his business model. He changed his focus on the manufacturing of toys and developed one of history's most beloved brands.
Christiansen was a man of the future who was quick to embrace new materials and techniques. In 1947, he was among the first company in the world to purchase an injection molding machine made of plastic that greatly expanded the range and capabilities of Lego products. The machine also let him experiment with a design that would eventually become the iconic Lego brick. The bricks were hollow on the bottom and had pegs at the top. They were interlocked to let children create intricate structures that were more complex than the ones made using wooden blocks from earlier generations.
The 1950s were a decade that saw the business expand. Godtfred Kirk Christiansen's daughter Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen joined the managerial staff and began to modernize the manufacturing processes of the company. This expansion included the launch of a dollhouse line and furniture for girls, and the first minifigures that were sold as individual pieces. In 1979, the company widened its product line to include sets of astronaut minifigures as well as rockets. They also introduced lunar rovers, spaceships and spaceships.
In 1990, the company introduced three Model Team sets that were made for advanced builders. These sets contained small pieces such as levers, axles, gears, and other parts. They were the first Lego sets that offered a level of realism and precision.