Ruth Handler was an American businesswoman best known for creating the iconic Barbie doll in 1959. As co-founder of the toy company Mattel, Handler noticed her daughter preferred playing with paper dolls of adult women rather than baby dolls, which inspired her to create a more grown-up figure.
Barbie revolutionized the toy industry, offering girls a role model of independence and ambition. Despite facing criticism for Barbie’s unrealistic proportions, Handler defended the doll as a symbol of women’s empowerment. She later founded a company producing breast prosthetics after surviving breast cancer.