news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/world/americas/newsid_1956000/1956180.stm -> news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/1956180.stm
My whole philosophy of Barbie was that through the doll, the little girl could be anything she wanted to be Ruth Handler Handler, who named the doll after her daughter Barbara, also co-founded the doll's manufacturing company Mattel. Her husband told the Los Angeles Times that she died in Century City hospital from complications after operation three months ago for colon cancer. Handler, one of 10 children born to a Polish immigrant family in Denver, Colorado, created Mattel with her husband, initially as a company selling household items. Huge success Handler created Barbie after noting that her young daughter preferred to play with cut-out pictures of adult fashion models than toy babies. Ruth Handler Handler: Barbie represented fact that "a woman had choices" She later diversified the range to include Barbie's boyfriend Ken, named after her son who died of a brain tumour in 1994, a little sister named Skipper and other characters who were named after her grandchildren. And in response to criticism of the blue-eyed, blonde-haired doll, later versions took into account different ethnicities and styles. Launched into the toy market in 1959 in New York City, the doll with the anatomically improbable frame became an instant success, going on to sell more than one billion in 150 countries, the Associated Press news agency reported. In her 1994 autobiography, Handler responded to criticism of the doll by feminists who felt the doll conformed to stereotyped views of women. However following a mastectomy she began to campaign for cancer awareness, which led to a second career. Forming a company called Nearly Me, she created a prosthetic breast, and one of her first customers was former First Lady Betty Ford after her mastectomy. It went on to create a healthy profit and was later sold for $1 million. See also: 05 Mar 02 | Middle East 41 Muslim dolls tackle 'wanton' Barbie 20 Feb 01 | Entertainment 42 Barbie eyes new horizons 26 Jan 02 | UK 43 'Real Girl' challenge to Barbie 08 Mar 99 | Entertainment 44 Barbie: Sparkling at 40 09 Sep 01 | Arts 45 Barbie goes to the Ballet Internet links: 46 Mattel Corporate Site 47 Barbie Official Site The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites Top Americas stories now: 48 Bush vows action after scandals 49 'White supremacists' on trial in Boston 50 WorldCom chiefs refuse to testify 51 Canada blazes send smoke south 52 Pentagon team to examine bomb error 53 Hundreds mourn LA airport victims 54 New hope for Aids vaccine 55 Texas pleads for more flood aid Links to more Americas stories are at the foot of the page.
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