http://web.mit.edu/invent/iow/christiansen.html
Danish carpenter Ole Kirk Christiansen created in the first half of the 20th century one of the most beloved toys of all time, enjoyed the world over by millions of children and quite a few adults as well. Those toys are the building blocks known as LEGOs.
Christiansen was born in 1891 in Filskov, Denmark, a small village north of the Danish town of Billund. He was educated as far as high school, and then began working in a factory, eventually becoming a woodworker and master carpenter. He set up his own business in Billund in 1932. Among the products he made were stepladders, ironing boards and wooden toys – which would become his specialty. Toys, especially wooden blocks, were, in fact, the business’s most successful product. In 1934, the company adopted the name “LEGO,” from the Danish words “Leg Godt,” or “play well.” (Appropriately, “Lego” also means “I study,” or “I put together” in Latin).
In 1944, Christiansen’s factory burned down, but he rebuilt in 1947 and picked up where he left off. This time, however, his business was dedicated to toys. The company became the first in Denmark to buy a plastic molding machine. By 1949, it was producing some 200 different wooden and plastic toys. LEGO’s Automatic Binding Bricks, however, were still made of wood at that time, and they were available only in Denmark. They became very popular there, but they really took off once Christiansen began making them out of brightly colored plastic.
Christiansen’s son, Godtfred Kirk Christiansen, had begun working alongside his father in 1942. In 1950, he was named Junior Vice President of the company. It was he who conceived of the idea of developing Lego blocks into a total “system of play.” By 1953, LEGO started marketing complete plastic block sets and in 1954, they obtained a trademark for the product, which they renamed "LEGO Mursten" or "LEGO Bricks."
The company officially launched the “LEGO System of Play” in 1955, which comprised 28 different sets and eight toy vehicles. LEGO patented the bricks’ “stud-and-tube coupling system” in 1958. That year, founder Christiansen died. His son Godtfred immediately took the LEGO helm.
Legos continued to gain popularity, with more themed toy sets and building-block variations added all the time. The first LEGO sets were sold in the United States in 1961. By 1966, offerings included bricks that could form all sorts of buildings, vehicles and backdrops. A larger version of the blocks, DUPLO, was added in 1967, designed for younger children and toddlers. In 1977, LEGO introduced TECHNIC projects for older kids and teens. Over the years the company added all sorts of themed Lego sets, even robotic building sets branded LEGO Mindstorms, model vehicle kits and computer games.
Additionally, LEGO opened a series of theme parks based on the Lego toy concept, the first in Billund in 1968. Others opened in Windsor, England in 1996 and in Carlsbad, California in 1999. Most recently, a fourth park opened in 2002 in Gunzburg, Germany. The parks continue to be immensely popular with people of all ages, especially parents and their children.
Ole’s grandson, Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen, later became CEO of the company and maintained that position until October 2004 when he was replaced by the company’s first non-family chief executive. LEGO has been a pioneer in using its products to advance research in learning and play. Initiatives include the LEGO Learning Institute, the LEGO Educational Division, collaboration with MIT’s Media Lab, and LEGO Serious Play, a product designed to help business owners to develop innovative strategies and solutions. The company has sold Lego toys in 130 countries, with sales totaling more than $1.5 billion.
As you have already guessed is that I like Legos; especially Star Wars Legos. And out of those Legos I like the mini figures especially Clones and Battle Droids. I have this picture my mom copied for me; and it is a picture of Clones and Battle Droids fighting.
Monday, January 5, 2009
overlook of WW2 in the Pacific
Daniel Schueller
11/19/08
Research Report
Unit 3 Lesson 13
On September 18, 1931, Japan invades Manchuria. Six years later on July 7, 1937, Japan invades main land China. America, hoping to stop Japanese aggressive acts, America boycotts all oil trade and other raw materials that Japan needed, forcing Japan to take aggressive actions. America got her answer to this on December 7, 1941. This allowed Japan to start taking British colonies in the Pacific Ocean without America interfering. The next day December 8, America declared war on Japan. A couple days later Germany declared war on America. The war in the pacific was only being.
Japan starts taking Pacific islands. Some of them are: Solomon Islands, Wake Island, Okinawa, Caroline Islands, and many more including some territories. America began to retaliate in the battle of the Coral Sea and the Battle of Midway. Both Japan and America lost lot stuff but the Japanese lost more that they could reproduce back. Japanese naval aviation began to decline and took the defense. On August 7, 1942, America begins her land offensive invading Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands. Japan and America fought so hard for the Guadalcanal that control of the Guadalcanal that the control switched day and night. America by day because we had good pilots in good planes: Japan by night because Japan had the early version of inferred targeting systems that swept our air defenses. This in turn gave Japan a turn to be constantly landing troops on Guadalcanal. After much lives and equipment lose, on February 7, 1943, Japan pulls out after a bitter fight. This was the end of air domination for the Japanese and the planes took the defense.
March 22, 1944, United States Marines landed on New Guinea. After securing the island America established an airfield and beachhead to begin bombing Japan from China. On June 19-20 the battle of the Philippine Sea prevented Japan from sending reinforcements to a stronghold in the Pacific.
October 20, 1944, American dropped off a massive strike force on Leyte in the Philippians and prepares to attack. 3 days later the greatest naval battle took place, the battle of the Leyte Gulf.
On February 19, 1945, 30,000 Marines landed on Iwo Jami. After 25 days hard fighting Iwo Jami was taken. This island is famous because of the picture of marines raising the flag on top of the mountain. On April 1, 1945, the strike lands on Okinawa. 83 days afterward Okinawa was official declared secure. The two atom bombs little boy and fat man are dropped on Nagasaki and Hiroshima. The emperor of Japan sings the surrender paper on the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay on September 2, 1945. Hearing the emperor’s surrender address remaining Japanese forces in the pacific surrender to the American forces on the islands. Japanese troops surrender on Wake Island on September 4. On September 8, MacArthur enters Tokyo to command the forces occupying Japan. On September 9, Japanese forces surrender on Korea. And it happens again on September 13, when they (Japanese forces) surrender on Burma, Thus ending the longest war in human history. And the United Nations (UN) is formed on October 24, 1945.
When is the price too high? When I think that the price is to high is when there’s no getting out of it. I can speak from experience. I have a game called AXIS & ALLIEDS and I play it a lot. Sometimes I do a dumb move and I lose the game because my troops weren’t in the right position to block the attack, or send to many troops to protect an unneeded place. I’m still trying to learn from my mistakes they (Japan) already has.
This is a picture of a torpedoed Japanese destroyer.
WORKS CITED
“Land Battles of the Pacific War.” December 2, 2008. http://www.geocities .com/guy_ conquest/land_battles/?20082.
“The History Place-World War 2 in the Pacific.” December 2, 2008. http://www. historyplace .com/unitedstates/pacificwar/timeline.htm#1945.
“The Naval Battles of the Pacific War.” December 2, 2008. http://www.geocities .com /guy_conquest/battles/?20082.
This is a picture of the height of the Japanese empire in 1942.
11/19/08
Research Report
Unit 3 Lesson 13
On September 18, 1931, Japan invades Manchuria. Six years later on July 7, 1937, Japan invades main land China. America, hoping to stop Japanese aggressive acts, America boycotts all oil trade and other raw materials that Japan needed, forcing Japan to take aggressive actions. America got her answer to this on December 7, 1941. This allowed Japan to start taking British colonies in the Pacific Ocean without America interfering. The next day December 8, America declared war on Japan. A couple days later Germany declared war on America. The war in the pacific was only being.
Japan starts taking Pacific islands. Some of them are: Solomon Islands, Wake Island, Okinawa, Caroline Islands, and many more including some territories. America began to retaliate in the battle of the Coral Sea and the Battle of Midway. Both Japan and America lost lot stuff but the Japanese lost more that they could reproduce back. Japanese naval aviation began to decline and took the defense. On August 7, 1942, America begins her land offensive invading Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands. Japan and America fought so hard for the Guadalcanal that control of the Guadalcanal that the control switched day and night. America by day because we had good pilots in good planes: Japan by night because Japan had the early version of inferred targeting systems that swept our air defenses. This in turn gave Japan a turn to be constantly landing troops on Guadalcanal. After much lives and equipment lose, on February 7, 1943, Japan pulls out after a bitter fight. This was the end of air domination for the Japanese and the planes took the defense.
March 22, 1944, United States Marines landed on New Guinea. After securing the island America established an airfield and beachhead to begin bombing Japan from China. On June 19-20 the battle of the Philippine Sea prevented Japan from sending reinforcements to a stronghold in the Pacific.
October 20, 1944, American dropped off a massive strike force on Leyte in the Philippians and prepares to attack. 3 days later the greatest naval battle took place, the battle of the Leyte Gulf.
On February 19, 1945, 30,000 Marines landed on Iwo Jami. After 25 days hard fighting Iwo Jami was taken. This island is famous because of the picture of marines raising the flag on top of the mountain. On April 1, 1945, the strike lands on Okinawa. 83 days afterward Okinawa was official declared secure. The two atom bombs little boy and fat man are dropped on Nagasaki and Hiroshima. The emperor of Japan sings the surrender paper on the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay on September 2, 1945. Hearing the emperor’s surrender address remaining Japanese forces in the pacific surrender to the American forces on the islands. Japanese troops surrender on Wake Island on September 4. On September 8, MacArthur enters Tokyo to command the forces occupying Japan. On September 9, Japanese forces surrender on Korea. And it happens again on September 13, when they (Japanese forces) surrender on Burma, Thus ending the longest war in human history. And the United Nations (UN) is formed on October 24, 1945.
When is the price too high? When I think that the price is to high is when there’s no getting out of it. I can speak from experience. I have a game called AXIS & ALLIEDS and I play it a lot. Sometimes I do a dumb move and I lose the game because my troops weren’t in the right position to block the attack, or send to many troops to protect an unneeded place. I’m still trying to learn from my mistakes they (Japan) already has.
This is a picture of a torpedoed Japanese destroyer.
WORKS CITED
“Land Battles of the Pacific War.” December 2, 2008. http://www.geocities .com/guy_ conquest/land_battles/?20082.
“The History Place-World War 2 in the Pacific.” December 2, 2008. http://www. historyplace .com/unitedstates/pacificwar/timeline.htm#1945.
“The Naval Battles of the Pacific War.” December 2, 2008. http://www.geocities .com /guy_conquest/battles/?20082.
This is a picture of the height of the Japanese empire in 1942.
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