The iconic Barbie doll went on display for the first time on March 9, 1959, at the American Toy Fair in New York City.

Barbie was created by Ruth Handler, who co-founded the toy manufacturing company Mattel with her husband in 1945. Handler came up with the idea for the toy after seeing her young daughter ignore her baby dolls to play with paper dolls of adult women.

Barbie was the first mass-produced toy doll in the U.S. with adult features.

The doll's original design was based on a German doll named Lilli, which was originally marketed as a raunchy gag gift for adult men. Mattel bought the rights to Lilli, and Handler renamed it "Barbie" after her daughter, Barbara.

Over the years, the Barbie doll has generated a lot of controversy, mainly surrounding its appearance. Many claimed that Barbie’s slim waist and large bust created an unrealistic body image for young girls.

On the other hand, many viewed the doll and its series of now more than 200 career options as an inspiration to children because it provided an image different from traditional 1950s gender roles.

Handler wanted Barbie to convey that "a little girl could be anything she wanted to be and that she has choices," according to Mattel's website.

Due to the doll's increasing popularity, Mattel released a boyfriend for Barbie in 1961 named Ken, which was named after Handler's son, Kenneth.

Since its launch in 1959, over 1 billion Barbie dolls have been sold worldwide.

Fisher-Price has reinvented an iconic childhood toy.

Mattel, which owns Fisher-Price, announced that the company is bringing back its Chatter Telephone, and it actually makes telephone calls.

The fully functional phone is available for purchase at Best Buy.

"Introducing the special edition Fisher-Price® Chatter Telephone — a phone smart enough not to come with any apps. Its intuitive bulky face design comes with a 'super-advanced' rotary dial," the company said.

According to the company, the Chatter Telephone will need to be paired with a smartphone through a Bluetooth connection to make and receive calls.

"Your childhood is calling, now you can actually answer," the company said.

Mattel released a 2020 special edition Barbie Doll in honor of the Dia de Muertos holiday, but just days after it hit shelves, it may be hard to find one. On September 1, the 2020 edition of the Dia de Muertos Barbie Doll was revealed.

In 2019, the doll maker released their first-ever Dia de Muertos Barbie Doll. It was one of the company’s most popular dolls for last year, and Mattel announced it would be the first in a collection.

As promised, a version of the doll was released this year. A search of online retailers days after the release finds many “out of stock” messages. Amazon says the doll is currently unavailable, as does Walmart and Target’s websites. A quick search will show if there are any available in-store at locations, but the results are few.

The 2020 edition features a light pink lace dress with floral and skeleton accents, along with traditional skeleton-like designs on her face.

"My hope for these dolls is that they're able to bring more awareness to the Dia de Muertos celebration. The Dia de Muertos celebration is very important because it honors and pays respect to family and friends that are no longer with us. It is such a beautiful tradition and I love that Barbie is now honoring the Dia de Muertos holiday,” said Barbie Designer Javier Meabe.

Dia de Muertos, Day of the Dead, is celebrated between October 31 and November 2 each year throughout Mexico, and many people of Mexican heritage around the world. It is a time to gather with family to celebrate the lives of departed loved ones. Events include music, food, sweets, flowers and offerings to loved ones.