Barbara Millicent Roberts, popularly known as Barbie, turned 50. It has been a long, commercially successful and often controversial journey for the world's best known doll.

The doll made its debut at the American International Toy Fair in New York on March 9, 1959. This date is considered to be Barbie's official birthday.

The doll, which has become a cultural as well as fashion icon, is manufactured by Mattel Inc. The orginal Barbie wore a black and white zebra striped swimsuit and signature topknot ponytail, and was available as either a blonde or brunette, says Wikipedia. Barbie's outfit was created by Mattel fashion designer Charlotte Johnson. The doll's popularity can be gauged by the fact that over 350,000 Barbie dolls, manufactured in Japan, were sold in the first year of production. It is estimated that over a billion Barbie dolls have been sold worldwide, with Mattel claiming that three Barbie dolls are sold every second.