Ole Kirk Christiansen

April 7, 1891 - Ole Kirk Christiansen was born on this day in Filskov, Denmark. He was the 13th son in a poor farming family.

Trained as a carpenter, Christiansen found work making stepladders and ironing boards, but his most popular items were his wooden toys.

By 1934 Christiansen formed a stand alone toy company called Lego. It got its name from the Danish phrase "leg godt" which translates to "play well." The business was very successful and in 1947 the company purchased the country's first plastic injection molding machine. It would figure prominently in the development and production of Christiansen's most famous creation.

In 1949 Christiansen introduced a new product he originally called "Automatic Binding Bricks." At first they were only sold in Denmark, but by 1954 the small plastic building blocks were becoming an international sensation. 4 years later Christiansen patented the stud and tube coupling system that binds the bricks firmly.

Christiansen died in 1958, but his sons and grandchildren have remained actively involved with the brand, and his Lego blocks are now a common fixture in every child's toy collection.