Happy Birthday to Lego

Today was the 50th anniversary of the Lego brick, one of the most ubiquitous and well-loved toys on the planet. The date and time (1:58pm, in case you were wondering) marks the exact moment that the patent was filed. I received a press release from Lego with oodles of useless yet fascinating tidbits I didn’t know about Lego – until now. Let me share:

• The word Lego is derived from the Danish words “leg godt” which means “play well.” In a bizarre coincidence, it was later discovered that Lego means “I put together” in Latin.
• Four billion Lego minifigures inhabit the world, making them the largest population group on Earth.
• There are more than 915 million possible combinations for 6 2×4 Lego bricks – of the same color!
• There are about 62 Lego bricks for every one of the world’s 6 billion inhabitants
• The Lego bricks sold in one year would circle the world five times.
• Children around the world spend 5 billion hours playing with Lego each year.

And now you know, and you too can celebrate this momentous occasion.

As part of the celebration, Lego is planning to have a global building challenge to find the best builder in each country, and bring all the winners to Denmark to compete in an ultimate building event. Hold on, all you thirtysomethings running off to the basement to fetch your bricks. This event is open to kids ages 6-13. More details will be available in March at www.lego.com/club.

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