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 LEGO have been making children's toys since the 1930s, when a father and son started building simple wooden toys in the small town of Billund, Denmark. They named their fledgling company LEGO, which comes from
the Danish words "LEg GOdt" ("play well"). It wasn't until many years later was it realised that lego means "I put together" in Latin.The events of the 1940s caused LEGO to close their production facilities, but once peace had returned to Europe they continued to manufacture toys.
In 1946 the company added a plastic injection machine to their factory floor and began making simple plastic toys, as well as traditional wooden ones, and in 1949 designed their first universal brick. By the late 1950s LEGO were large enough to become an international company and established
LEGO France, British LEGO Ltd., LEGO Belgium and LEGO Sweden.
In 1960, after a fire in their Billund production facilities LEGO stopped making wooden toys in order to concentrate on plastic toys and construction sets. The 1960s saw LEGO expanding throughout Europe with more divisions opening up across the Continent, and finally in 1973 LEGO crossed the Atlantic to found its US division, followed by an Australian office in 1977 and one in Japan in 1979.
Throughout the 1970s, '80s and '90s LEGO developed hundreds of plastic construction sets all based on their simple system of bricks held together by studs. These colourful and versatile sets were aimed at space explorers, engineers, adventurers, town planners, and train drivers of all ages.
In 1998 LEGO stepped outside the bounds of its own brand and acquired its very first license - Star Wars - and by the summer of 1999 had released the first sets based on The Phantom Menace. Fans of the classic trilogy weren't to be kept waiting when LEGO released the first of its Classic sets in time for Christmas 1999. Since then the entire Saga has only been touched upon, with plenty more scope for the future.
Fans of LEGO Star Wars sets can keep up-to-date with our LEGO news channel or through the LEGO secton in our forums. Click here for a complete checklist Back To Photo Archives
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