Ole Kirk Christiansen
Ole Kirk Christiansen | |
|---|---|
| Founder and 1st Leader of The Lego Group | |
| In office 10 August 1932 – 11 March 1958 | |
| Succeeded by | Godtfred Kirk Christiansen |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Ole Kirk Kristiansen 7 April 1891 Omvraa Mark, Filskov, South Jutland, Denmark |
| Died | 11 March 1958 (aged 66) Billund, Denmark |
| Cause of death | Cardiac arrest |
| Resting place | Grene kirkegård, Billund, Denmark |
| Spouses | Kirstine Sörensen
(m. 1916; died 1932) Sofie Jörgensen (m. 1934) |
| Children | 5, including Godtfred |
| Occupation | Carpenter |
| Known for | Founding The Lego Group |
Ole Kirk Christiansen (born Ole Kirk Kristiansen; 7 April 1891 – 11 March 1958) was a Danish carpenter. In 1932, he founded the construction toy company Lego, later known as The Lego Group. Christiansen transformed his small woodworking shop, which initially sold household products, into a manufacturer of wooden toys. By 1934, he had officially named the company Lego and established its fundamental principles. The business shifted to producing plastic bricks after the acquisition of a plastic moulding injection machine in 1947. Following his death in 1958, the company's management was handed over to his son, Godtfred.