Short answers, pulled from the story.
Barbie was created by American businesswoman Ruth Handler and introduced by Mattel on the 9th of March 1959 at the American International Toy Fair in New York City. Handler based it on the German Bild Lilli doll she bought during a 1956 trip to Switzerland.
Ruth Handler named the doll after her daughter Barbara, who was born on the 21st of May 1941. Barbara Handler later said she "hated being known as the inspiration for the Barbie doll."
Mattel has sold over a billion Barbie dolls, making it the company's largest and most profitable line. By 2006, estimates put sales above a billion across more than 150 countries, with Mattel claiming three Barbie dolls are sold every second.
Critics argue Barbie promotes an unrealistic body image that can contribute to eating disorders in children. Research by the University Central Hospital in Helsinki, Finland, found that at 1/6 scale, with a height of 5 feet 9 inches, she would lack the 17 to 22 percent body fat a woman needs to menstruate.
Mattel sued MGA Entertainment in December 2006 for a billion dollars, alleging Bratz creator Carter Bryant developed the idea while working for Mattel. After a reversal on appeal, a federal jury sided with MGA in April 2011, and Mattel was ordered to pay MGA $310 million in August 2011.
In July 1992, Mattel released Teen Talk Barbie, and about 1.5 percent of the dolls said "Math class is tough!" The phrase drew criticism from the American Association of University Women, and in October 1992 Mattel announced it would no longer use the phrase and offered a swap.
Ken, full name Kenneth Sean Carson, is Barbie's male counterpart and on-off boyfriend who first appeared in 1961. Mattel announced the pair split in February 2004, and they officially reunited on Valentine's Day 2011.