The LEGO Logo
The following is a brief timeline of LEGO history.
19th century[]
1890's[]
- Ole Kirk Christiansen, LEGO Company]] is born.
- The woodworking shop that the Chrisiansens made is founded.
20th century[]
1910's[]
- Ole Kirk purchases the woodworking shop.
1920's[]
- Ole Kirk's shop burns down. Ole Kirk builds a new and larger shop.
1930's[]
- LEGO is founded.
- Godtfred Kirk Christiansen starts to make models.
- The first LEGO set is released, known as LEGO Duck.
1940's[]
- Another fire breaks out and Ole Kirk rebuilds it again.
- LEGO starts to make plastic blocks.
1950's[]
- Many new features come out of the shop (windows, beams, flags, etc.)
1960's[]
- First instruction kits come out.
- Electric trains come out.
- LEGO brings out new sets.
1970[]
- The LEGO Company reaches 1,000 employees.
1973[]
- A new LEGO logo begins to appear on LEGO Products.
1975[]
- The LEGO Company reaches 2,500 employees.
1978[]
- Space is introduced.
- Castle is introduced.
1979[]
- Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen becomes president of the LEGO Company.
- Thomas Kirk Kristiansen, second son of Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen, is born.
- Fabuland is introduced.
- Scala is introduced.
1980[]
- 2x2 round plates are introduced.
1982[]
- The Lego Group celebrates its 50th anniversary.
1985[]
- LEGO reaches 5,000 employees
- LEGO System celebates it's 30th anniversary.
1987[]
- The LEGO Club is established.
1989[]
- The first official LEGO magazine, Brick Kicks, is introduced.
- Pirates is introduced
1995[]
- On July 13th, Godtfred Kirk Christiansen, son of the company's founder, dies.
- LEGO System celebrates its 40th anniversary.
1996[]
- Wild West is introduced.
- Time Cruisers is introduced.
- LEGO.com is launched.
1999[]
- The theme Star Wars is released.
21st century[]
2001[]
- BIONICLE is introduced.
- LEGO Life on Mars is introduced, then discontinued.
- LEGO Alpha Team is introduced
- LEGO Harry Potter is introduced
- LEGO Studios is introduced
- Islanders and Imperial Armada, sub-lines of LEGO Pirates, are reintroduced, then re-discontinued.
- LEGO Racers is introduced
- Jack Stone is introduced.
- Lego Message Boards was added
2002[]
- Episode II: Attack of the Clones, a sub-line of Star Wars, is introduced.
- Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, a sub-line of Harry Potter, is released.
- Island Xtreme Stunts is introduced
- A sub-theme of Studios, based on scary monsters, is introduced and later discontinued.
- Galidor is introduced, then discontinued.
- Mission Deep Sea sub-theme of Alpha Team is released.
- Spybotics is introduced, then discontinued.
- Wild West is re-released, then re-discontinued.
2003[]
- Clikits and LEGO Designer
- LEGO Hockey, LEGO Basketball, and LEGO Gravity Games are introduced as Sports subthemes.
- Orient Expedition, a sub-line of Adventurers is introduced.
- Island Xtreme Stunts is discontinued.
- Inventor is introduced, then discontinued.
- World City is introduced.Pan Con Chancho
- Jack Stone is discontinued, and replaced by 4 Juniors
2004[]
- Knight's Kingdom II is introduced.
- Orient Expedition, a sub-line of LEGO Adventurers is discontinued.
- LEGO Spider-Man, LEGO World City, and LEGO Gravity Games are discontinued.
- Dora the Explorer, a sub-theme of LEGO Explore series (DUPLO), is introduced, then discontinued.
- Pirates (4 Plus) and Spider-Man (4 Plus), sub-lines of 4 Plus are introduced, then discontinued.
- X-Pod is introduced.
2005[]
- Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, a sub-line of Star Wars is released.
- Alpha Team is discontinued.
- City is introduced.
- Dino Attack / Dino 2010 is introduced.
- Vikings is introduced.
- Clikits is discontinued
- DUPLO Airport is introduced.
2006[]
- Exo-Force is introduced
- Avatar: The Last Airbender is introduced.
- SpongeBob SquarePants is introduced.
- Batman is introduced.
- LEGO Sports is reintroduced.
- LEGO Mindstorms NXT is released.
- Knight's Kingdom II is discontinued.
- Vikings is discontinued.
2007[]
- LEGO Aqua Raiders is introduced, then discontinued.
- LEGO Mosaic, a sub-line of Creator is introduced, then discontinued.
- LEGO Mars Mission is introduced.
- LEGO Castle is reintroduced.
- LEGO Harry Potter is discontinued.
2008[]
- Indiana Jones is introduced
- Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull sub line of Indiana Jones is introduced.
- Speed Racer, a sub line of Racers is introduced, then discontinued.
- Agents is introduced.
- The Clone Wars sub-line of Star Wars is released.
- My Lego Network was released
2009[]
- LEGO Games is introduced.
- City Farm is introduced.
- Pirates is re-introduced.
- Space Police III is introduced.
- Power Miners is introduced.
- Agents 2.0 released - following Agents.
- LEGO Architecture released.
- Mars Mission discontinued.
- Batman is discontinued.
- Exo-Force discontinued.
- Belville is discontinued.
2010[]
- Atlantis is introduced.
- Kingdoms is introduced replacing Castle.
- Prince of Persia is introduced.
- Toy Story is introduced - including Toy Story 3 and DUPLO Toy Story.
- DUPLO Cars is introduced.
- Ben 10 is introduced.
- Harry Potter is re-introduced.
- World Racers is introduced.
- BIONICLE is discontinued.
- BIONICLE Stars is introduced.
- Hero Factory is introduced, replacing BIONICLE.
- Pirates is to be discontinued.
- Agents / Agents 2.0 discontinued.
- SpongeBob SquarePants is put on pause until 2011.
- DUPLO Bob The Builder discontinued.
- DUPLO Thomas and Friends discontinued.
- LEGO Universe is released.
- LEGO: The Adventures of Clutch Powers, the first full length movie, is released.
- LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4 the video game is released.
- The 8683 Minifigures Series 1 and 2 of LEGO Collectible Minifigures is released.
- Indiana Jones is discontinued.
2011[]
- Pharaoh's Quest is introduced.
- Ninjago is introduced.
- Pirates of the Caribbean is introduced.
- Alien Conquest is introduced.
- Space Police is discontinued.
- Power Miners is discontinued.
- Spongebob Squarepants is re-introduced.
- Toy Story is discontinued.
- Minifigures Series 3, 4 and 5 is introduced.
2012[]
- The Lord of the Rings is introduced.
- Super Heroes is introduced.
- Sub-themes DC Universe Super Heroes and Marvel Super Heroes is introduced.
- Spongebob Squarepants is discontinued.
- Aliens Conquest is discontinued.
- Minifigures Series 6, 7 and 8 is introduced.
- Dino is introduced.
- Monster Fighters is introduced.
- 80th anniversary of LEGO.
- Harry Potter is discontinued.
- Pharaohs Quest is discontinued.
- Friends is introduced.
- Build and Rebuild is introduced.
- The Hobbit is introduced.
- Forest, a Sub-line of City, is introduced.
- Mining, a Sub-line of City, is introduced.
- Disney Princess is introduced.
- Ultrabuild is introduced.
2013[]
- After a first wave of sets Ninjago is discontinued.
- Legends of Chima is introduced replacing Ninjago.
- Galaxy Squad is introduced.
- Monster Fighters is discontinued.
- Kingdoms is discontinued.
- A very similar theme with the same characters called Castle replaces Kingdoms.
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is introduced.