Every second, two Barbie dolls are purchased somewhere in the world.

Placed head to toe, all the Barbie dolls sold since 1959 would circle the earth more than seven times.

Barbie's full name is Barbie Millicent Roberts. She hails from Willows, Wisconsin—but she left her wallet in El Segundo, California, the home of the Mattel Corporation.

During Barbie's introductory year in 1959, Mattel sold 350,000 dolls.

Barbie is now a 1.9 billion dollar-per-year industry.

Barbie has had more than 75 careers, from registered nurse to rock star.

About one billion fashions have been produced for Barbie and her friends during the past four decades. The doll has had over a billion pairs of shoes in that time.

More than 100 million yards of fabric have gone into Barbie's outfits, making Mattel one of the largest apparel manufacturers in the world.

Barbie is marketed in more than 140 countries worldwide.

Barbie became a candidate for President in 1992. She categorically denies that she ever had sexual relations with that man, Ken.