Only her friends call her Barbie. If you were to look at her tax forms, you d see her full name: Barbara Millicent Roberts. (Named after the Mattel founders daughter, Barbara Handler; their son, of course, is named Ken.)
Her fame is global, but she s a small-town girl. According to brand lore, Barbie was officially born on March 9, 1959, in the fictional town of Willows, Wisconsin.
She s just one of seven Roberts kids. Over the years, her siblings for sale have included: Skipper, Stacie, Chelsea, Krissy, Kelly, Tutti, and Todd.
One of her siblings eventually went missing. Tutti and Todd are twins or they were, until Tutti mysteriously disappeared in 1971. Stacie, who was introduced in 1992, is also Todd s twin, to add to the whole twin mystery.
The first celebrity addition to her family was a fashion doll modeled after teen icon Twiggy in 1967. M.C. Hammer joined the brand in 1991 bringing a cassette tape of his own music along with him.
Good news, Hammer Barbie digs younger men. Her longtime BF Ken is two years younger than Barbie, debuting in toy stores in 1961.
She has the most impressive résumé in history. Barbie has had more than 200 careers, including paleontologist, Desert Storm medic, Canadian Mountie, McDonald s cashier, zoo doctor, business executive, secretary
She has been to space three times. Astronaut Barbie debuted in 1965 (four years before the moon landing), then returned in 1986 and 1994.
And has run for president six times. Barbie ran her first campaign in 1992, but, unfortunately, has never won the nomination. Could 2020 be her year?