A TIMELINE OF SPORTS AND GAMES
By Tim Lambert
c 1200 BC The Egyptians enjoy swimming, boxing, wrestling and archery. The Egyptians also play a board game called senet.
776 BC The Olympic Games begin in Greece in honour of Zeus
246 BC The first gladiators fight
c 100 Gladiators are popular. So are chariot races. The Romans also play board games and gamble with dice.
c 1000 AD The Saxons enjoy storytelling and hunting with falcons. Wrestling is also popular.
1200 AD The upper class enjoy hunting. They also like hawking. People play chess and draughts.
13th Century The first recorded bowling green is laid out Southampton.
15th Century The Scots develop golf. In England people play card games.
c 1530 The Tudors play casting the bar, which involves throwing an iron bar. Tennis and bowls are also popular with the well off. Ordinary people like football, bear and bull baiting and cock fighting.
1727 The Jockey Club is formed
c 1750 The first cricket club is founded in Hambledon in Hampshire
1780 The Derby begins
1811 The first women's golf tournament is held in Scotland
1823 Rugby is invented
1835 Bull baiting is banned
1867 The Queensberry rules for boxing are drawn up
1869 Polo is first played in Britain
1872 The first polo club in Britain is founded
1873 Lawn tennis is invented
1875 Snooker is invented
1880 The Amateur Athletics Association is formed
1885 The safety bicycle goes on sale
1887 Softball is invented
1891 Basketball is invented
1888 Cheap cameras are introduced and photography becomes a popular hobby
1895 Volleyball and netball are invented
1896 The Olympic Games are revived
1905 Ping pong is introduced
1913 The first crossword is published
1930 The first Football World Cup is held in Uruguay
1934 Monopoly is introduced
1948 Scrabble is introduced
1949 Cluedo is introduced
1966 Twister is introduced
1973 The first World Hot Air Ballooning Championships are held
1982 Trivial Pursuit is introduced
1985 Pictionary is introduced