In 1932 carpenter Ole Kirk Christiansen founded his company in Billund, Denmark with the aim of encouraging creative games and creativity in children. In the beginning, he produced stepladders however, the effects of the Great Depression forced him to adapt and evolve his business model. He switched his focus to the manufacturing of toys and established one of history’s most beloved brands.
Christiansen was a man of the future who was quick to adopt new materials and technologies. In 1947, he became the first company to acquire a plastics injection molding machine in the world. This greatly enhanced the capabilities and range of Lego products. The machine also allowed him to explore a design which would eventually become the iconic Lego brick. The bricks were hollow at the bottom and had pegs on the top. They interlocked to allow children to build intricate structures that were more complex than those created using wooden blocks from earlier generations.
The 1950s were a time of growth for the company. Kjeld Kirk Christiansen, Godtfred Christiansen’s daughter was part of the management team and began modernizing the company’s manufacturing methods. The expansion also included the introduction of a line of dollhouses and furniture for girls and also the first minifigures that were sold as individual pieces. In 1979, the company widened its range of products to include sets that included miniature astronauts and rockets. They also introduced spaceships, lunar rovers and spaceships.
In 1990, the company released three Model Team sets that were designed for advanced builders. These sets contained small pieces like axles, levers, gears and other components. They were the first Lego sets that offered the same level of realistic accuracy.
https://lego-x.com/2020/01/16/lego-company-history-production-features