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A golden anniversary for Lego (50 years old today)
cnet News.com ^ | January 28, 2008 | cnet News

Posted on 01/28/2008 2:28:52 PM PST by Squidpup

On Monday, Lego is celebrating the 50th anniversary of the day it filed its first patent for the iconic plastic brick. Since the beginning, Lego sets have been themed, and the very first theme was space. Not long afterward, Lego added castle and pirate themes. One of the first major elements of the "System of Play" was the Lego Town Plan. To celebrate the 50th anniversary, the company is releasing a new, updated commemorative Town Plan this year. While updated, it includes '50s-era elements like a gas station, car wash, and garage, plus a movie theater and, of course, a town hall.

The original Town Plan box from 1955 featured Lego founder Ole Kirk Christiansen's grandson Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen as a boy. The 2008 Town Plan box once again features him, this time as a grown man.

Over the years, the Lego brick has become one of the most recognized toys in the world, and millions upon millions of people have spent countless hours playing with the bricks and the sets they're part of. But Lego's first supplementary sets came out in 1956, two years prior to the company filing its patent for the now-famous plastic brick. In 1956, the company exported its first products to Germany.

This year, Lego is also celebrating the 30th anniversary of the Minifigure, small figures of people included in many Lego sets today.

Credit: Steve Scott/misbi.com


TOPICS: Business/Economy
KEYWORDS: anniversary; lego; legos; toys
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Lots of sources carrying this story - I liked the picture compilation on this linked site
1 posted on 01/28/2008 2:28:53 PM PST by Squidpup
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To: Squidpup
Have you seen 's page today?
2 posted on 01/28/2008 2:31:02 PM PST by FoxInSocks
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To: Squidpup

Learn robotics with Lego.


3 posted on 01/28/2008 2:32:12 PM PST by RightWhale (oil--the world currency)
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To: Squidpup

My sons love their Legos. I think we have 1.5 billion strewn throughout our house at any give time. If I had a dollar for every time I’ve sucked one up in the vacuum, I’d be a wealthy woman.


4 posted on 01/28/2008 2:32:37 PM PST by Aggie Mama
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To: FoxInSocks

That is cool!


5 posted on 01/28/2008 2:32:50 PM PST by Domandred (Eagles soar, but unfortunately weasels never get sucked into jet engines)
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To: Squidpup

H

6 posted on 01/28/2008 2:33:49 PM PST by SnakeDoctor
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To: Squidpup

I took my 6 year old’s Legos away until he cleans up his toys in the basement. Does this mean I have to give them back???


7 posted on 01/28/2008 2:36:12 PM PST by GreenLanternCorps (Vote Republican in 2008 or President Hillary Clinton will be reading your FBI file!!!)
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To: FoxInSocks

That’s where I was clued in - then did a search to find a decent story link


8 posted on 01/28/2008 2:36:16 PM PST by Squidpup ("Fight the Good Fight")
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To: Hemorrhage

I went to a Lego Robotics contest several months ago.
The kits that the kids put together were impressive.


9 posted on 01/28/2008 2:36:23 PM PST by Maine Mariner
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To: Squidpup
I still preferred the "Erector Set" when I was a tyke. Only because they were metal.

Lego's are certainly one of the greatest inventions. EVER!

10 posted on 01/28/2008 2:37:22 PM PST by BallyBill (Serial Hit-N-Run poster)
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To: Squidpup

Legos also has the huge LegoLands in Denmark, Germany, England and San Diego.


11 posted on 01/28/2008 2:40:09 PM PST by SoCalPol (Lets Have A Broker Convention)
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To: Squidpup

Many an hour of my childhood was spent creating towns, villages, forts, launchpads, etc. with Lego. I still have some in a box somewhere...


12 posted on 01/28/2008 2:40:15 PM PST by Army Air Corps (Four fried chickens and a coke)
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To: BallyBill

Between the Erector Set and the “Star Wars Android Factory”, LOTS of little tiny pieces got sucked up in my Mom’s vacuum cleaner !


13 posted on 01/28/2008 2:40:34 PM PST by SoKatt
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Comment #14 Removed by Moderator

To: Squidpup
Photobucket
15 posted on 01/28/2008 2:40:55 PM PST by Squidpup ("Fight the Good Fight")
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To: Squidpup
I confirmed my suspicion by heading to lego.com and seeing their happy birthday message. I had tons of LEGO bricks as a kid.
16 posted on 01/28/2008 2:41:34 PM PST by FoxInSocks
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To: Army Air Corps

A box?! I have a large BIN full of Legos. The boys have finally grown out of playing with them and now they’re in storage, waiting for the grandchildren to be born.
I bet we have a cubic yard of Legos.


17 posted on 01/28/2008 3:15:38 PM PST by DeLaine (Who is General Tso and why are we eating his chicken?)
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To: Aggie Mama
If I had a dollar for every time I’ve sucked one up in the vacuum, I’d be a wealthy woman.

Heh...we had so many Legos (and whatever the cheaper ones were...Duplos?) when I was little, that every so often Mom would get sick of stepping on them / sweeping them up and offer us a penny for every one we could collect. I generally made a couple of bucks each time.

I think they're long gone now. But we spent many happy hours with those...and Tinker Toys...and old wooden blocks.

The best toys are the ones that require a good amount of imagination and creativity!

18 posted on 01/28/2008 3:18:58 PM PST by RosieCotton (A place for everything and everything in its place - 2008 Resolution #1)
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To: DeLaine

A cardboard box full of Lego is what remains. Luckily, you can buy it by the pound on E-Bay (I have seen 30 pounds go for about $40).


19 posted on 01/28/2008 4:05:49 PM PST by Army Air Corps (Four fried chickens and a coke)
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To: Army Air Corps

One of my first wins on ebay 11 years ago was 16 sets, mostly very large sets (kids often want sets, not bulk) for $200. They were brand new, and half the list price. I gave some every Christmas and birthday for the rest of their childhood.

;)


20 posted on 01/28/2008 4:08:45 PM PST by DeLaine (Who is General Tso and why are we eating his chicken?)
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