MILWAUKEE — The story of Barbie began with a simple observation. Ruth Handler, the co-founder of Mattel, noticed something interesting about how her daughter played. Instead of pretending to be a mother to baby dolls, her daughter preferred paper dolls that represented adult women. She imagined them working, traveling, and living exciting lives.
That moment sparked an idea that would change the toy industry forever.
Handler created a doll that looked like an adult woman — someone girls could imagine becoming. On March 9, 1959, Barbie officially debuted at the New York Toy Fair. The first doll quickly became iconic, wearing a black-and-white striped swimsuit, high heels, red lipstick, and a blonde ponytail.
Her full name was Barbara Millicent Roberts, though the world simply knows her as Barbie. Standing 11 inches tall, she was the first mass-produced doll in the United States with adult proportions — a major shift from the baby dolls that had long dominated toy shelves.
For generations of children, Barbie opened the door to imagination. Instead of pretending to care for a baby, kids could dream about becoming a fashion designer, a doctor, a pilot, or a business leader. Over the decades, Barbie has represented hundreds of careers and inspired millions of young minds.
As Barbie celebrates her 67th birthday this year, the doll continues to spark creativity and nostalgia — especially for collectors who grew up loving the iconic toy.
Watch: Barbie turns 67: Celebrating a cultural icon and a local collector giving back
One of those fans is local Barbie enthusiast Jessica Janz-McKnight. She recently stopped by "Milwaukee Tonight" to share some of her favorite dolls from her personal collection and the stories behind them.
But for Janz-McKnight, Barbie isn’t just about collecting — it’s also about giving back.
As she approached her 40th birthday, she decided to celebrate in a unique way: by collecting Barbie dolls for girls in the Milwaukee community. After noticing that the Kids Zone at the Juneteenth celebration often had more toys geared toward boys, she felt inspired to help create something special for young girls attending the event.
Now, she’s gathering Barbie dolls to donate for this year’s Juneteenth celebration, hoping to bring joy and inspiration to the next generation.
If you'd like to donate to the cause, you can drop those dolls off at Northcott Neighborhood House, 2460 N. 6th Street in Milwaukee, through June. (Don’t forget — you can watch the Juneteenth parade live on TMJ4.)
This beautiful creation was created by Milwaukee Tonight's Cassandra McShephard. She designed the dress, earrings and hair for a special MACC FUND fundraiser.
For many of us, Barbie wasn't just a toy growing up—-she represented possibilities. And today those possibilities continue to inspire and support the next generation of girls!
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