Interestingly, the airport began operations in the form of a private airfield, built by Godtfred Kirk Christiansen, the son of the Lego Group founder Ole Kirk Christiansen. Godtfred Kirk Christiansen. The notion of a LEGO system of play came to Godtfred during a January 1954 trip to the London Toy Fair. Ole Kirk’s health was declining, and Godtfred began to oversee more of the company’s day-to-day management. On the ferry crossing the North Sea, he met up with a toy buyer from Magasin du Nord, the largest department store in Copenhagen. His son Godtfred became managing director and later CEO. Godtfred Kirk Christiansen, a Danish executive who made Lego plastic building-brick sets into children's favorites in many countries, died yesterday at his house in Billund, Denmark. 2nd Leader of The Lego Group; In office Following increasing interest from neighboring communities, Godtfred eventually decided that the airport should be expanded and become a regular public airport. On 11 March 1958, Kristiansen experienced a heart attack and died at the age of 66, and his third son Godtfred promptly took over the company until his death in 1995. … One hundred and ten billion pieces of Lego, the plastic construction toy, were moulded during the period 1949 to 1990. Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com: accessed ), memorial page for Godtfred Kirk Christiansen (8 Jul 1920–13 Jul 1995), Find a Grave Memorial no. References He was 75. Hanne Kirk Kristiansen (Christiansen) Birthdate: February 26, 1951: Birthplace: Grene Sogn,Billund. Godtfred Kirk Christiansen (July 8, 1920 – July 13, 1995) was the managing director of The Lego Group from 1957 to 1979. By now, LEGO was already a household name. All of Ole's sons assisted in his company, and in 1958 the LEGO Brick patent was created. He created a research and development center that was essential to updating the LEGO kits as time went on. Death. The first occurs in 1924, when the sons Godtfred and Karl Georg play in the workshop while Ole and Kristine take a midday nap. Immediate Family: Daughter of Godtfred Kirk Christiansen and Edith Nørregaard Christiansen Sister of Private and Private . But Godtfred had bigger plans. https://legokita.blogspot.com/2016/12/the-founder-family-and-ceo.html He was the third son of company founder Ole Kirk Christiansen. Death: October 22, 1969 (18) Vejle Amt Place of Burial: Grene Kirkegård. 186915427, citing Grene Churchyard, Billund, Billund Kommune, Syddanmark, Denmark ; Maintained by Peterborough K (contributor 46537737) . The Kirk Kristiansen family The first fire - building Ole Kirk's House Ole Kirk Kristiansen’s business is ravaged by several fires. 100 years ago, today, former LEGO® owner and managing director Godtfred Kirk Christiansen was born. 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