Samsonite was an American manufacturer of LEGO sets in North America (US and Canada) that for many years starting in the early 1960s had exclusive distribution rights. Samsonite began marketing sets under the name LEGO by Samsonite in the US in 1961 and Canada in 1962. A licensing dispute ended the arrangement in the United States in 1972, but Samsonite remained the distributor of LEGO in Canada until 1988.
1979 LEGO Sets
In 1979, LEGO introduced the Fabuland theme, targeting younger children with a blend of larger parts and regular LEGO bricks. The theme featured anthropomorphic animal characters and provided a storytelling aspect. This year also saw the expansion of the LEGO Space theme, with additional sets being added. Furthermore, the LEGO Castle theme was launched, offering medieval-themed sets with castles, knights, and related elements. These developments in 1979 contributed to the diversification of LEGO's product offerings.