Although the LEGO Group was founded in 1932, at the time the company was very different to what it is today. Rather than producing the plastic interlocking bricks that we know and love, Ole Kirk Christiansen was manufacturing wooden toys during the early years.
It was only in 1958 that the modern design for the LEGO brick was finalised. That brick would become the icon that represents the LEGO brand, so its sixtieth anniversary is indeed a celebratory event.
Before their official patenting in 1958, the bricks were named Automatic Binding Bricks, until the name Lego was conceived from the Danish words ‘Leg Godt’, meaning ‘play well’. Today is a big moment for the bricks (only five years until they’d get a free bus pass) and to celebrate, nine-year-old Sienna Rice was invited to Denmark to see how the designers work.
The London pupil is the youngest person to design a set on sale across the world, from Orlando to Hong Kong.
Despite the continued popularity of the retro models, film and TV has also continued to inspire a new generation of LEGO lovers, with one ‘LEGO Star Wars’ related item sold every minute since the release of the most recent instalment, ‘Star Wars: The Last Jedi’. Similarly, the release of ‘Star Wars Rogue One: A Star Wars Story’ inspired people to build their favourite LEGO starship, with searches for ‘LEGO Star Wars’ peaking on 18 December, three days after the release.
Another set that will celebrate the sixtieth anniversary of the LEGO brick is 40290 60 Years of the LEGO brick, which is a more traditional building kit. The instructions and bricks included allow fans to create mini representations of four iconic LEGO sets that are fondly remembered, namely 6399 Airport Shuttle, 375 Castle, 6285 Black Seas Barracuda and 928 Space Cruiser And Moonbase. The set will be part of a shop.LEGO.com and LEGO Store promotion later this month.
These sets are just the beginning, and LEGO aficionados should expect many more opportunities to engage with sixty years of the classic brick over the next 12 months. In the past, the LEGO Group has held build contests, toured classic set displays and shared behind the scenes insights.
Brick Fanatics will be celebrating the beloved brick too, so keep your favourite website bookmarked to stay up to date with all of the sixtieth anniversary activity and enjoy a special year celebrating all things LEGO.