Margot Robbie is 'Barbie' (Warner Bros Pictures)

The sea of pink is back, especially in cinemas with the release of the “Barbie” movie. Indeed, it feels as if Barbie watched us grow up! From having different versions of the doll to watching its iconic animated films such as “Barbie of Swan Lake,” “Barbie as the Princess and the Pauper,” and “Barbie & the Diamond Castle.”

Finally, the iconic doll known for her signature pink obsession had its real-life version of the movie once again back in the spotlight! She is more than just a pretty face. Barbie is an epitome that anyone could be anything they wanted to be!

At some point the doll has been here even before we were born, as Barbie has been around for more than 60 years. She has a long history list–so here are 10 things you might want to know about the iconic doll Barbie. 

The first Barbie doll in her iconic black-and-white striped swimsuit (BarbieMedia.com)
 

• Barbie’s real name is Barbara Millicent Roberts and her birthday is March 9.

The doll was named after Ruth and Elliot Handler’s daughter, Barbara, who made a cameo in the movie! Barbie is an 11-inch tall plastic doll and was “born” on March 9, 1959. Ruth Handler, who co-founded Mattel Inc. with her husband, Elliot, spearheaded the introduction of Barbie.

• The inspiration behind Barbie’s physique is not really meant for children

Barbie’s precursor is not the most child friendly as it is modeled after Bild Lilli, a German doll created in 1952. This doll was based on a high-end call girl named Lilli, whose character was featured in the comic strip of the Hamburg newspaper, Bild-Zeitung. This doll was often sold as an adult novelty in bars and tobacco shops. Ruth said that she saw the Bild Lilli doll in Europe while she was on vacation and brought it home.

The 60th anniversary Ken doll (Mattel)

• The history behind Ken – his name and relationship with Barbie

Like Barbie, Ken was named after Handlers’ son, Kenneth Sean Carson. Ken first joined Barbie in 1961, and the thing is, the couple never married because of Ruth Handler’s desire for Barbie to be a “single career girl.” The two had their challenges as they broke up in 2004, and Barbie had a new male companion, or should we say rebound with Blaine Gordon–an Australian surfer. But the comeback is real as Ken and Barbie got back together in 2011 on Valentine’s Day.

• Barbie is a career woman

Barbie was made with a desire to inspire young girls that they can be anything they want to be! For her first job, Barbie was a fashion model; since then, she has had more than 250 careers. Just last year, two Barbie dolls were taken to the International Space Station to encourage girls to pursue a STEM-related career or other male-dominated fields.

The 'Happy Family' set with Midge (The Strong National Museum of Play)

• There was one job Barbie didn’t do 

Ruth Handler envisioned Barbie to be the period before one enters parenthood. Although in 2002, one of Barbie’s friends, Midge, was sold as a pregnant doll with even a removable womb! However, Midge got pulled down from the shelves as consumers claimed it promoted teen pregnancy.

• The best-selling Barbie doll was the 'Totally Hair' Barbie

In 1992, the “Totally Hair” Barbie debuted, and she had floor-length hair. According to Mattel, this was their best-selling doll with more than 10 million dolls purchased worldwide.

A screenshot of Barbie by Stefano Canturi (CanturiJewels’ YouTube)

• World’s most expensive Barbie doll

The most expensive Barbie doll was auctioned off for $302,500 in 2010. This Barbie doll was made in collaboration with Australian jewelry designer Stefano Canturi to raise money for cancer research. Barbie wore a cubism necklace with a rare Argyle pink diamond in the middle, along with white baguette and carre cut diamonds.

Bettina Dorfman

• The biggest collector of Barbie owns over 18,500 Barbie dolls

Bettina Dorfmann, 62, holds the title since 2005 for having the most extensive collection of Barbie dolls in the Guinness World Records, when her collection was just 2,500. Now, the number of her Barbie dolls is at a whopping 18,500. Dorfmann said she had her first Barbie when she was five years old in 1996, and then she started collecting in 1993.

The 1997 Superstar Barbie (Mattel)

• Barbie's first major change in appearance

Barbie’s eyes had always been fixed in a demure sideways glance because of Liilli’s physique. Then in 1971, Ruth decided to change her eyes facing forward. Apparently, this was the last change Ruth would make with the doll before she was ousted from her own company because of false and misleading financial statements. After almost 30 years, Barbie had another change: adding a navel in 2000.

Jack Ryan in front of his Bel Air castle (Image courtesy of Ann Ryan)

The patent drawing of Barbie (Popular Mechanics)

• From missiles to designing and patenting the original Barbie doll

Jack Ryan, the man who designed and patented Barbie, was working at Raytheon – an aerospace and defense conglomerate. During this time, Ryan was helping to develop the Sparrow and Hawk-guided missile systems. Then Ruth decided to offer him the position of Head of Research and Development at Mattel. He was the man behind the signature twist-and-turn waist of Barbie, along with the click of its knee joints. Ryan stayed with Mattel for 20 years until he sued the company in 1980 for allegedly nonpayment of royalties. (Kyla Mari Paulo (OJT/University of Santo Tomas)