G.I. Joe Day

G.I. Joe Day is February 1st

G.I. Joes were introduced on the market by Hasbro in February, 1964. Hasbro was hoping to recreate the success of their Barbie dolls with a similar toy for boys. At the time, people didn't want their boys playing with "dolls" because dolls were girl toys. So Hasbro coined the term "action figure" to market their G.I. Joes. This branding led to massive success. Hasbro and many other companies still use the term today. A Cartoon inspired by the toy, G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero aired from 1983 - 1987 and further cemented the toy in the American culture. They may not be the most popular toys today, but G.I. Joes have had a huge effect on the industry by inspiring so many of the toys that followed. That is definitely something worth celebrating!