ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Lego timeline

Imagine you have a big box of legos, and you want to build something really cool with them. Just like you start by putting the pieces together to create your masterpiece, the Lego company has been building their brand and products over time, and the Lego timeline shows how they've grown and evolved.

Back in 1932, Mr. Ole Kirk Christiansen started making toys, including small wooden blocks that he called "leg godt," which means "play well" in Danish. In 1934, he changed the name to Lego, which comes from the Danish phrase "leg godt," and began making interlocking plastic blocks that we still play with today!

In the 1950s, Lego started making the same kind of plastic blocks but with more shapes and colors, making them more fun to play with. They also started selling sets with instructions on how to build specific things, like boats and cars.

As the years went by, Lego began to create more and more complex sets with themed pieces like pirates, knights, and space people, and by the 1990s, they had introduced licensed themed sets with popular characters from movies and TV shows.

In recent years, Lego has turned their focus to creating more environmentally-friendly products and recycling old pieces to reduce waste. They've also continued to collaborate with popular franchises like Harry Potter and Star Wars to create new and exciting sets for everyone to enjoy.

So just like you can build anything you can imagine with your box of legos, the Lego company has been building and improving their products for almost a century, and their timeline shows us how they've grown and changed over time!