The rules of basketball have evolved greatly since Dr. James Naismith first drew up the famous first 13 rules. The most notable developments are the inclusion of the dribble, the free throw, and the three point basket. Here Dazadi offers rules that are by no means official, but rather give players a basic understanding of how the modern game is played. Read the rest of this entry »
The modern game of baseball is barely recognizable from its earliest official form as drawn up in the Knickerbocker Rules. Originally, players didn’t wear gloves, there were no home runs, pitches were thrown underhand, and there wasn’t even a fly out rule. Since then, the rules of baseball have changed virtually every year, evolving very slowly with developments in glove, bat, and protective technologies. But even the modern game stays true to its pastoral roots, as is evidenced by these general rules offered by Dazadi. These are by no means meant to be official of definitive, but rather are meant to give players a basic understanding of how the game is played. Read the rest of this entry »
Table tennis originated in England as an after dinner amusement for aristocrats in the 1880s. Like most sports in their infant stages, table tennis originally had no equipment made specifically for the sport, and instead used everyday equipment such as Champagne corks and cigar box lids. Players developed names for the sport such as “whiff whaff” and “ping pong,” based upon the sound of the ball hitting the paddle. English sporting goods manufacturers J. Jaques & Son Ltd registered the name “ping pong” in 1901, and as a result the name ping pong came to be used for the game when it was played with the Jaques equipment, while other manufacturers called their versions the more generic “table tennis.” A similar situation came to exist in the United States, where Jaques sold the rights to the Ping-Pong name to Parker Bros. Escalade Sports is the current owner of the rights to the name. Read the rest of this entry »
Games played with a wheel are believed to be as old as the wheel itself, but the game of roulette didn’t appear until the 17th century. Details about the birth of roulette (French for “little wheel”) are sketchy, but one theory holds that pioneering mathematician Blaise Pascal invented the mechanism in 1657 while attempting to develop a perpetual motion device. Read the rest of this entry »
American inventor Thomas Edison successfully recorded himself singing “Mary Had a Little Lamb” on the very first phonograph in 1877, and established a company to exhibit it the following year. The invention was initially successful as a novelty, despite the fact the tin foil on which recordings were made could only be played a couple of times and it was very difficult to operate, but the fad soon wore off. After Edison abandoned the machine to work on other projects, telephone inventor Alexander Graham Bell worked on improvements, eventually receiving patents for his innovations.
On 23rd November, 1889, Louis Glass demonstrated the very first coin operated phonograph at the Palais Royal restaurant in San Francisco. Glass, general manager of the Pacific Phonograph Company two blocks away, and his business partner William S. Arnold been permitted by the proprietor, Fred Mergenthaler, to demonstrate the machine in the restaurant. Patrons listened to the music by holding a listening tube to their ear, as recording amplification had not yet been developed. Despite this, the machine was massively popular, grossing over $1000 in its first six months of service.
John Gabel invented the first important jukebox to offer multiple selections in the early 20th century. Read the rest of this entry »
There are many different stories on the origination of foosball. The general thought is that table soccer was created simultaneously by inventors from France and Germany in the 1920’s and 30’s.
One such story takes place during the Spanish Civil War when the poet and editor Alejandro Finisterre found himself in a hospital bed. During his recuperation, Alejandro became saddened by the bed ridden children he saw around him who were unable to play their beloved pastime of football (soccer as it is known in the U.S.). With the help of his friend Francisco Javier Altuna, a Basque carpenter, they constructed their first foosball table. Read the rest of this entry »
Darts originated in Medieval England, when archery instructors shortened arrows and had their students throw them at the bottom of empty wine barrels as a means of indoor practice. When the wine barrels proved to be inconvenient or in short supply, sometimes a cross section of a tree was used. Many early players discovered that the rings on the tree helped measure the accuracy of a throw. It evolved into the modern game, with many of the rules and regulations that we use today, around in the late 1800’s. Read the rest of this entry »
Dice are the oldest gambling tools, dating back to the Roman Empire when they were made of marked animal teeth. Craps‘ oldest ancestor, however, was a game called “hazard,” which didn’t appear until the 12th century. Hazard’s origins are uncertain. Some claim that the fact that “al zar” is Arabic for dice is evidence that the game is Arabic in origin. Read the rest of this entry »
Spotty historical records have made the origins of Chess a matter of theory and speculation rather than absolute proof. The most commonly held belief is that Chess originated in India, where it was called Chaturanga, which is believed to have been invented in the 6th century AD. Chess quickly found its way to Persia, where its name changed to Shatran. Read the rest of this entry »
Blackjack is believed to have originated in French casinos in the early 18th century where it was called “vingt-et-un” (Twenty One) and migrated to the U.S. in the 1800’s. It initially wasn’t as popular as poker in gambling houses, so as a promotion for the game they started offering a 10 to 1 payout to any player who received an ace of spades and a jack of spades on their first two cards. And thus term “black jack” as both the highest hand possible and the name of the game was born. Read the rest of this entry »