From her career background to her history with Barbie ... Handler was inspired to create Barbie after watching her daughter Barbara, the namesake of the doll, and her friends play with paper ...

Ruth named the doll Barbie, after her daughter. The first model went on display in March 1959 at the annual Toy Fair in New York City. In Barbie’s first television ad, broadcast that same year ...

Named after Ruth’s daughter, Barbara ... Ruth Handler’s invention of Barbie transformed not only the toy industry but also ...