Would-be master LEGO builders around the globe mark this day as special because it was on this day in 1958 that Godtfred, the son of LEGO group founder Ole Kirk Christiansen, would submit his patent application for the modern plastic building blocks we know and love today. Neither the founder nor the creative origin of this holiday has ever truly been established. What we do know is that International LEGO Day is celebrated on January 28th each year.
After heading to Germany to learn woodworking, Ole Kirk Christiansen purchased a small woodworking shop in 1916 near Billund, Denmark. He would produce mostly furniture and build houses until one day his two sons owned up to being involved in burning down his shop when discarded wood chips caught fire.
Ole always made miniature models of the pieces he fashioned such as ironing boards, ladders, and stools. He chose to make inexpensive toys with the wood he still had and rebuilt his workshop to expand the business.
Yo-Yos were big for a time, but he still continued to build furniture to make ends meet. And when the yo-yo fad ended, he used the leftover wood to fashion wheels for toy trucks. In 1934 he founded his new company and named it Lego where he put together two Danish words leg godt which means “play well”.
Meanwhile, Hilary “Harry” Fisher Page of the Kiddiecraft toy company was a toy inventor over in the UK and had created the world’s first “Self-Locking Building Bricks” in 1932. He initially imported wooden toys from Russia but began making his own designs. Concerned with how hygienic wood was, he set about tinkering with plastics like Christiansen but much earlier in 1936.
He formed a new venture with his partners called British Plastic Toys Ltd and produced Bri-Plax which included the newly patented “Interlocking Building Cube” in 1940. World War II had caused most progress to come to a halt.
After the War, Page would take what he learned tinkering and would create the self-locking building brick sets which were smaller versions of the building cubes. He would patent the basic design in 1947 which featured 4×2 studded bricks, later side slits allowed for doors and windows to be added, and even a base plate to lock the bricks down.
After WWII, Christiansen bought Denmark’s first plastic injection molding machine and began experimenting with it for his toys in 1947. It’s believed the manufacturer provided him with drawings and samples of Page’s interlocking bricks. He began marketing his own copies of these toy bricks. The Automatic Binding Brick was born in 1949 which was similar to Kiddicraft’s design but with improved interlocking capabilities. These early bricks had limited success but became the precursor to the LEGO brick in 1953.
Christiansen ultimately figured out which plastics he would settle on for his bricks. Cellulose acetate was first used but changed in favor of acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS plastic) which was non-toxic and more weather-resistant.
In 1958, LEGO patented the modern design of their brick, featuring tubes inside the bricks and corresponding studs on top. The “stud-and-tube coupling system” design allowed for better stability and versatility in building creations.
Harry Page was never aware of Christiansen and his Legos who started expanding into Western Europe. LEGO would eventually acquire full rights in 1981 to Kiddiecraft’s designs but Page tragically died in the late 1950s fearing the collapse of his company. British Toy and Hobby Association honored Page in 2007 as an innovator in child education and toy design with a Lifetime Achievement Award.
LEGO stopped making wooden toys in the 1960s and began expanding its plastic toy line ever since. Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, LEGO steadily grew in popularity, becoming a beloved toy worldwide. The company expanded its product line to include various themed sets, such as Lego Town, Lego Castle, and Lego Space (which yours truly owned).
Over the years, LEGO continued to innovate, introducing new elements like mini figures in 1978, baseplates for building landscapes, and specialized pieces for more intricate designs. By the 1980s and 1990s, LEGO expanded into new markets and licensed themes, including collaborations with popular franchises like Star Wars, Harry Potter, and Batman.
Despite its historic success, LEGO encountered significant financial struggles in the early 2000s. Several factors contributed to these challenges:
As the new Millennium came and went, LEGO found itself teetering on the brink of bankruptcy. The company was burdened with mounting debt, declining sales, and an unsustainable business model. In 2003, LEGO reported a record loss of nearly $300 million, marking the company’s first annual loss in its history!
This dire financial situation forced LEGO to take drastic measures to avoid collapse. The period of imminent bankruptcy was a pivotal moment in LEGO’s history, shaping the company’s trajectory and instilling valuable lessons about resilience, adaptability, and the enduring appeal of timeless play.
In the mid-2000s, LEGO experienced a resurgence with the success of new product lines like LEGO Mindstorms robotics kits and the LEGO Ideas platform, which allows fans to submit and vote on new set ideas.
Today, LEGO continues to thrive, with a diverse range of products appealing to builders of all ages. The company emphasizes creativity, imagination, and play, staying true to its creed.
LEGO Motto
“Only the best is good enough.”
Not sure how to LOVE the day? We’ve got a few interesting ideas to consider that may help get you started.
Here are some activities that you can do on International LEGO Day!
You can celebrate by visiting one of 13 LEGOLANDS or by going to one of the 27 smaller LEGOLAND Discovery Centers around the globe. Not there yet? Then perhaps visiting a LEGO-themed retail store – there’s over 850 of them.
Watch one of the numerous animated movies from LEGO including the main character of Emmet Brickowski or with DC or Marvel comic-related characters.
For a chance at the throne, participate in a 100 LEGO piece-only challenge with friends and family. Then be crowned the LEGO minimalist champion!
Use social media posts with the hashtags #InternationalLEGODay, #LEGODay, #NationalLEGODay, #LEGO, #FunHolidays, #JanuaryHolidays, #Holiday, #FindADayToLOVE, #iHEARTdays to support the importance of celebrating, promoting, and sharing with the world why you ❤️ International LEGO Day.
Italian friar & priest of the Catholic Dominican order best known for having five arguments that prove God’s existence. Contrary to belief, he did not die a martyr but rather bludgeoned his head on a low-hanging tree branch. Born 1225.
THOMAS AQUINAS Quote
“To convert somebody go and take them by the hand and guide them.”
Polish born pianist widely considered to be one of the greatest piano players of all time. A staunch supporter of Israel but a non-religious Jew, he started playing at age five eventually working with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra until he died at the age of 96 in Switzerland. Born 1887.
ARTHUR RUBINSTEIN Quote
Even when I’m sick and depressed, I love life.
103rd Associate Justice of the US Supreme Court making her the fifth woman to be appointed and the youngest justice to serve in modern times. Born 1972.
AMY CONEY BARRETT Quote
“A judge may never subvert the law or twist it in any way to match the judge’s convictions.”
Year | Date | Day of the Week |
---|---|---|
2023 | January 28 | Saturday |
2024 | January 28 | Sunday |
2025 | January 28 | Tuesday |
2026 | January 28 | Wednesday |
2027 | January 28 | Thursday |
The LEGO brand once became the most powerful brand on the planet and this after rising like a phoenix from the ashes by focusing once again on their key strategy while narrowly avoiding bankruptcy back in 2004.
Literally, everything these days can be built. If it’s not a kit to build a dinosaur, a race car, Harry Potter, STAR WARS, or even the Seinfeld or Friends set, then you can order all types of special pieces that enable you to build whatever your mind can imagine!
LEGO is a wonderful educational toy that helps children develop skills such as motor dexterity, creativity, teamwork, patience, and problem-solving. Analysis seems to suggest spatial awareness and hand-eye coordination can also be greatly improved.
While initially not the most economical toys to come on the market, these tiny bricks are quite resilient and you can definitely get your money’s worth by using them year after year. Playing with LEGOS by infusing a few new bricks with age can give you great mileage down the road expanding the toy’s useful years.
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