We all played with Lego blocks when we were little (and some of us more recently) and we know that they were one of the best gifts you could get. Those little blocks probably defined a significant portion of your playtime and depending on your level of nerdiness, potentially all of it! But those little toys have a history and a story that is every bit as colorful as the blocks themselves. Today we are going to dive behind the scenes of the Lego world and see what makes it tick so that you can learn 25 curious things you always wanted to know about Lego.
From its humble beginnings in Denmark, Lego has grown to take over the world of toys. These days it is one of the most popular presents at Christmas time and littering the floor of households everywhere. For all the construction nerds among you, you are about to find out some interesting tidbits about Lego blocks. From the correct way to refer to the blocks (Lego is not supposed to be pluralized) to the way in which they are made, after you are done reading this list you will be ready to amaze your friends with your incredible Lego knowledge. These are 25 curious things you always wanted to know about Lego!
Featured Image: wikipedia
The little holes in the heads of the Lego people are there so that if a child swallows one, they can still breathe
Source: reddit, Image: pixabayWithin the LEGO company, standard pieces are called bricks. Plates are the flat ones. Beyond that, the bricks and plates are differentiated by the number of studs they have i.e. 2x4
Source: reddit, Image: wikipediaAs themes change, the color palette changes but the basic colors (white, black, yellow, green, blue, and red) will always be there.
Source: reddit, Image: wikipediaLego was actually meant to be an adjective ("lego brick" and not just "lego")
Source: redditAs you may have deduced, the plural of Lego is not Legos. It would be "Lego bricks".
Source: reddit, Image: wikipediaAll figurines were given yellow colors to reflect the non-specific quality of a child's imagination.
Source: reddit, Image: pixabayOver 2 millon Lego bricks are produced every hour. That comes to 19 billion bricks per year.
Source: reddit, Image: pexelsSince Lego bricks went into production back in 1958 nearly 400 billion bricks have been made. That is 62 bricks for every person on Earth
Source: reddit, Image: wikipediaIn the United States, about 130 new sets are launched every year
Source: reddit, Image: brickset via FlickrAll around the world, every single second, 7 Lego sets are sold
Source: reddit, Image: wikipediaLego is allegedly so expensive because it is made with high quality materials so they can be handed down over generations.
Source: reddit, Image: pixabayAccording to sources at LEGO, no Lego brick has ever decomposed or released toxic substances
Source: reddit, Image: pixabayLego sets used to be produced for several years. Because fads in the toy industry are rapidly changing these days, many sets are discontinued in less than a year
Source: reddit, Image: wikipediaSome Lego themes, like Castle and Space, are considered evergreen. This means that although small changes are made to introduce novelty, the theme stays in production
Source: reddit, Image: wikipediaGermany is the number one market for Lego. Actually, Lego bricks are the number one toy in Germany. The most popular sets are TECHNIC and CITY
Source: reddit, Image: pixabayThe United States is the second largest market for Lego bricks. The most popular sets are Star Wars and BIONICLE
Source: reddit, Image: pixabayThe Star Wars set can bring out your inner Jedi.
LEGO almost went bankrupt when it started to try expanding into other areas like video games and theme parks. Fortunately they decided to go back to just focusing on building Lego bricks and the company bounced back
Source: reddit, Image: pixabayThe Lego Mindstorms Robotics Invention System is the best selling Lego set ever. Over 1 million have been sold.
Source: reddit, Image: wikipediaThe worst selling Lego set was an action figure line called Galidor. It was too unfamiliar to many people because it didn't have any traditional Lego construction elements.
Source: redditEvery country has a different best selling set. The all time favorites (that have also been made evergreen) are Space, City, Castle, and Pirates
Source: reddit, Image: caleb wagoner via FlickrDue to the high precision during production, only 18 in 1 million pieces fail to meet the standards.
Source: redditApart from slight changes to the mix, the plastic used to make bricks today consists of the same formula as 20 years ago
Source: reddit, Image: pixabayMost of the molds to create Lego bricks are very expensive and are manufactured in Germany
Source: wikipedia, Image: wikipediaLEGO started in Denmark in 1949
Source: wikipedia, Image: pixabayIn 2015 it was named the "world's most powerful brand" by Brand Finance
Source: Brand Finance, Image: futureatlas.com via flickrLists Going Viral Right Now
