The 65th Birthday of the Lego Brick

Did you know that Lego is derived from the Danish phrase leg godt which means "play well"?  Lego has certainly been well-played by many generations and is well-known for its multicolored, interlocking plastic bricks accompanying an array of gears, figurines, and other parts. Lego pieces may be assembled and connected in a variety of ways to build objects, including buildings, vehicles, and working robots; anything constructed can be taken apart again and the pieces reused to create new things.

As it exists today, the Lego brick is 65 years old, with the Billund, Denmark-based company patenting its iconic design back on January 28, 1958. In this fascinating article by Jason Aten, we learn more about the history and appeal of this “thoughtful toy.” While the brick has not changed for over six decades, it is as popular as ever and continues to promote “learning through play.” As Aten explains, the toy has a multi-generational dimension: “Every time a parent passes along a set of bricks to their child, they pass along all of the imagination and memories. They pass along something more than just empty-minded distractions.”

To learn more, please read the source article.