The History of GI Joe
G.I. Joe was one of the very first action figures ever produced. He was manufactured by Hasbro and first sold in the stores in 1964. The figures had movable arms and legs that bent at the elbows, hips and knees. This was a new concept and made it possible for kids to pose him in very realistic ways; marching or low-crawling for instance.
Each of the four models of G.I. Joe represented a branch of the US military. There was a soldier, a pilot, a sailor and a marine. GI Joe represented a pride in the men who served in the Armed Forces of The United States of America.
G.I. is an abbreviation of the term Government Issue. For years, US soldiers have been 
referred to as G.I.s. The first figures were 12 inches in height but over the years other collections have been released in which the figures were 3 ¾ inches high. An African American G.I. Joe was released in 1965 and sold in selected areas of the country. Later lines have also included figures representing the armed forces of other countries, such as Australia and Great Britain. There was also a female model: GI Jane, for the girls. Many countries around the world have their own version of G.I. Joe. The British model goes by the name of Action Man.
G.I. Joe was a huge hit with boys of all ages, not just in the 1960s, but all the way up to the present day. These popular action figures are still available in stores and online. Kids have enjoyed collecting the various models of GI Joe, as well as the extensive collection of accessories that are available for him, such as: uniforms, communications equipment, boats, backpacks and guns.
