The original LEGO® brick, known to billions around the globe, turns 50 at exactly 1:58pm today, when the original patent was filed, marking a legacy of creativity and fun for children of all ages. LEGO 50th anniversary celebrations are taking place in LEGO offices around the world, but the real magic has been happening in playrooms and classrooms around the world for a half-century.

On average, there are abut 62 LEGO bricks for every one of the world’s inhabitants. In addition to providing great fun, LEGO bricks also promote motor, cognitive and creative skills – one of the many reasons parents have put their faith in the LEGO brand for decades. It’s not just children who are crazy about these building blocks: countless numbers of adults find inspiration in them – be it in art, architecture, engineering, landscaping, filmmaking or furniture design, among others. The bricks are also used in classrooms from preschool to university levels to teach any subject matter playfully, and some workplaces even use the bricks for creative inspiration and developing team communication skills.

“When you give someone a LEGO brick, the possibilities are endless,” said Soren Torp Laursen, president LEGO Americas. “The brick is a medium for creativity and fun unlike any other. Over the last 50 years we have seen millions of incredible creations and heard amazing stories from the young and the young at heart. The classic brick remains the same, the only thing that varies is the creative breath that children bring to the play experience, and that’s the real magic behind a timeless toy.”

At the end of the 1940s, LEGO Group founder, Ole Kirk Christiansen, evaluated the merits of plastic as a raw material for LEGO toy production and developed the prototype for the first LEGO brick, which had studs on top, but was hollow underneath. In 1958, the design was perfected with the addition of the tubes underneath the brick, creating the stud-and-tube coupling system, which is still the basis of the 2,400 LEGO building elements that exist today. LEGO bricks can be combined, taken apart, and put back together again in an infinite number of combinations. With six 2x4 bricks of the same color, there are more than 915 million combinations possible.

To celebrate the 50th birthday of the brick, the LEGO Group has developed two commemorative products, and will be announcing programs and activities through the entire year to engage families and children in the celebration. Among the plans is a global building challenge inviting children from around the world to become the best LEGO builder in their country. Each winner will then meet in Billund, Denmark, home of the LEGO Group, to compete in the ultimate building event. Children ages 6-13 in the U.S. and Canada can find more details about the contest in the next issue of the LEGO Club Magazine or by visiting www.LEGO.com/Club in March.

The LEGO Group (www.LEGO.com) is a privately held, family-owned company, based in Billund, Denmark. Founded 1932, it is today one of the world's leading manufacturers of play materials for children. The company is committed to the development of children's creative and imaginative abilities through its products, which can be purchased in more than 130 countries.

Also see how funs celebrate LEGO 50th Anniversary at Slashtoys