Donald Levine, man behind G.I. Joe, passed away

May 23, 2014

Donald Levine (86), the man credited as the father of G.I. Joe (toy) for developing the world’s first action figure, passed away. As the head of research and development at toy manufacturer Hasbro, Levine led the team which developed the figure – complete with 21 moving parts that made it popular among kids. Mr Levine was not the inventor of the iconic toy, that was merchandiser Stan Weston, but he gauged its potential and developed the model as a mass seller. G.I. Joe first hit the shelves of American toy shops in Christmas 1964, and was an instant success.
G.I.Joe
G.I. Joe is a range of action figures produced by the toy manufacturing company Hasbro. The term G.I. stands forGovernment Issued and after the First World War became a common term for U.S. soldiers. G.I. Joe was inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame at The Strong in Rochester, New York, in 2003.