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Ruth Handler (1916)close

Ruth Handler was born in Denver, Colorado. In 1945, she and her husband Elliot established a small business enterprise, calling it Mattel Creations. In 1959, she created the Barbie Doll, naming it after her daughter. It was an instant success. More than 1 billion Barbies have been sold since 1959, making it the best-selling toy in history. Today, Mattel is one of the world's largest toy manufacturers.

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