The toy brick was invented (and patented) by British toymaker, Hilary Fisher Page in the 1950s. But when LEGO released its own riff on the brick, they made some very important changes to ‘freshen up’ the idea for the Danish market. One of those important changes was the little tubes underneath the brick for extra ‘clutch power.’ This twist allowed children to build tall towers, roads, and even little cars—something that wasn’t possible with previous versions of the toy. 

Two key imagination-sparking innovations followed the original brick—kits and minifigures. Kids could now create entire transportative worlds and characters’ stories in their living rooms. These products also enabled LEGO to stay at the center of the cultural zeitgeist via excellent partnerships. LEGO toys are always at the ‘front of every toy store’ due to their perpetual cultural relevance, whether the latest craze is Star Wars or Harry Potter.Â