Connecting plastic LEGO bricks have entertained children and adults for years with the ability to create and build countless structures. Lego has been a household name for the better part of a half century, but LEGO began as a small wooden toy factory in 1932.  The reality of LEGO today was only a dream of LEGO creator Ole Kirk Christansen in the early 20th century.

On this day, January 28th, in 1958, LEGO’s current stud-and-tube coupling system was patented. In 1949, Christansen realized that plastic would be the ideal material for his toy designs and started developing the LEGO brick prototype.  The stud-and-tube coupling system would allow bricks to firmly fit together and easily unsnap.  Since 1958, slight improvements have been made to the original LEGO, but the original design is still compatible with all LEGO’s made today.  More than 2,400 brick shapes have grown from the original LEGO design.

After devloping their trademark plastic brick, LEGO has grown into one of the world’s most successful toy companies.  LEGO is currently the fifth largest toy manufacturer in terms of sales.  LEGO was also honored as “Toy of the Century” by Fortune Magazine and British Association of Toy Retailers.