Tsunamis: Facts About Killer Waves. The earthquake that generated the great Indian Ocean tsunami of 2004 is estimated to have released the energy of 23,000 Hiroshima-type atomic bombs, according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).
The 1988 Happy Holiday Barbie is considered to be the first Collectible Barbie, although it wasn't originally planned that way. The dolls rapidly sold out and almost immediately began to command big prices on the secondary market.
The result was the Barbie doll (named in honor of the Handlers' daughter), a pint-sized model of the girl next door.. Mattel finally agreed to back Handler's efforts; and the Barbie doll debuted at the American Toy Fair in New York City in 1959. Girls clamored for the doll, and Barbie set a new sales record for Mattel its first year on the market (351,000 dolls, at $3 each). Since then, Barbie's popularity has rarely flagged; and today, with over one billion dolls sold, the Barbie product line is the most successful in the history of the toy industry.