CHANGE REGION
Sign Up
Sign In
About Us
The LEGO Group
Lifelong Play
Facts & Figures
Corporate Responsibility
Press Room
PR Archive
Product News
Image Library
Media Contacts
Visits
Programs
Jobs
Dansk version
October 15 2003
LEGO minifigure turns 25
The LEGO minifigure is 25 years old this year. Since first appearing on the market in 1978, the little yellow figure has gone from strength to strength. LEGO Company has produced no fewer than 3.7 billion minifigures over the years – making it one of the world’s largest population groups!
Over the past the minifigure has appeared as many characters – knight, astronaut, policeman, racing driver, space warrior, Harry Potter, Santa Claus, Steven Spielberg, crane operator, football player, explorer, nurse, basketball player, Spiderman, frogman, skier, fireman, skeleton, pirate, rollerskater, American Indian, queen ...
The invention of the LEGO minifigure marked the beginning of a brand new era for the LEGO product. The little figure put new life into the LEGO universe and added a brand new dimension to play. The minifigure made it possible to create big play themes with storytelling and the children were able to build castles, populated with knights and maidens, and on board the pirate ships came real pirates with a patch over one eye, “wooden” legs and hooks.
Despite its size, the minifigure is actually something of a technical marvel. The hands are able to turn without falling off and the arms and legs are capable of moving. Hair and headgear can be removed without taking the head off the neck. The minifigure matches all standards in the LEGO system. The body is three LEGO bricks high; the head is one brick high. The figure can hold a LEGO brick in its hand and it can be plugged standing or sitting on top of other LEGO elements.
During the first the years, the minifigure’s facial expressions were happy and neutral but with the launch of LEGO pirates in 1989 the figure got a variety of expressions: good or bad, happy or grumpy. With licensed products such as Harry Pooter the figure assumed the roles of specific characters. And with LEGO Basketball the figure was given authentic skin colours instead of the original yellow.
For further information, please contact:
The LEGO Company
Charlotte Simonsen
Director, Press relations
Corporate Communications
Telephone: +45 79 50 65 79
Here is the first LEGO minifigure from 1978...
Download high-resolution image
...and some of his younger friends
Download high-resolution image
Back to list
The LEGO Group is a privately held, family-owned company, based in Billund, Denmark. It was founded in 1932 and today the group is one of the world's leading manufacturers of play materials for children, employing approximately 7,500 people globally. The LEGO Group is committed to the development of children's creative and imaginative abilities. LEGO products can be purchased in more than 130 countries.
LEGO and the LEGO logo are trademarks of The LEGO Group. ©2010 The LEGO Group.
Print-friendly version
