Ruth Handler
Ruth Handler · Economics & Business
Barbie Doll and Mattel Co-founder
1916, Denver, Colorado, USA — 2002, Los Angeles, California, USA
United States
Mattel1945American businesswoman and inventor. She served as the president of the toy manufacturer Mattel Inc., and is best remembered for inventing the Barbie doll.
Handler co-founded Mattel and created the Barbie doll in 1959, one of the best-selling toys in history and a cultural icon. She was the youngest of ten children of Polish-Jewish immigrants and grew up in Denver. After surviving breast cancer she also pioneered the Nearly Me line of prosthetic breasts for mastectomy patients.
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Source: Iconic toy brand creator
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Awards & Recognition
Barbie Doll and Mattel Co-founder
Source: Iconic toy brand creator
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