Hot Wheels were invented byElliot Handler. Elliot's spouse was none other than Ruth Handler, the inventor of Barbies! Named after Hander's daughter.

I'll do my best summary, but I'm a bloke who never had the slightest interest in dolls, so go easy on me. Barbie came out in '59 and has has sold over a billion dolls, and inspiring video games, movies, and restaurants.

Before Barbie, most dolls marketed to girls were infants to take care of. Barbie was an adult, and would have adult rolls, from surgeon, to olympic athlete, air force pilot, or wildland firefighter. Here is an extensive list of Barbie's careers.

That, in my view, is what makes Barbie iconic. While it hasn't been free of missteps, criticisms, and even people who get aggressive plastic surgeries to imitate a Barbie, it also provided endless positive roll models. You can grow up to be a zoologist, park ranger, astrophysicist, or dentist. The sky is the limit, and in fact, Barbie became a fictional astronaut in 1965, and a literal one in 2022 with a trip to the ISS. Here is Barbie in space, hosted by real life NASA astronaut Kayla Barron from onboard the ISS.

Marine Biologist Barbie, and Astrophysicist Barbie example,

That shift from only baby dolls for girls into Barbie as a role model had such a huge influence on girls and women! Love this, thanks for sharing!