History of Bowling

When was bowling invented

3200 BCE

In 1934, British anthropologist Sir Flinders Petrie, along with a team of archaeologists, discovered various primitive bowling balls, bowling pins and other materials in the grave of a protodynastic Egyptian boy dating to 3200 BCE, very shortly before the reign of Narmer, one of the very first Egyptian pharaohs.

History of bowling in Germany

300 BCE

German historian William Pehle asserts that modern day bowling appears to have its roots in Germany, dating back to 300 CE. At that time, most Germans carried kegels, a wooden, pin-shaped rod for sport and protection, and it was believed that knocking down these kegels, or pins, with a rock would pardon their sins.

History of bowling in England

1400

Historians debate when bowling was introduced to England. The earliest known evidence of the sport is an antique bowling green in Southampton that dates back to 1299. In 1366, King Henry III banned bowling from the country, as it was a distraction from archery practice for soldiers. This date marks the first official mention of bowling in historical records. By the 1400s, bowling was allowed in the country again and lawn bowling lanes were roofed over. You could bowl when conditions were bad.

History of bowling in America

1819

Bowling was brought to America by British, German, and Dutch settlers. Depictions of Dutchmen playing a version of the game in New York from 1670 is the earliest known evidence of bowling in North America. In American literature, the first mention of bowling was penned by Washington Irving in his classic 1819 novel Rip Van Winkle. In the book, Rip describes the sound of "crashing nine pins" as he watches the ghostly figures of old Dutchmen playing the game.

Gambling & Bowling

1820

In the 1820s, gambling became a common vice and stress-reliever for many workers at the time. Bowling halls became center stage for this sometimes fun, sometimes seedy practice – leading to the game being temporarily banned or outlawed in some states.

Bowling Leagues begin

1895

By the late 19th century, due to various influences and cultures in the United States, there were endless variations of the game. It became clear that a universal set of rules needed to be imposed in order to form leagues. Proprietor Joe Thum developed the unified standards with the United Bowling Clubs in New York and in 1895, the American Bowling Congress was formed.

WIBC was formed

1917

Around this time, women began to become more involved with the sport of bowling. Outdoor alleys moved indoors. Bowling became less of a gambler's sport and more socially acceptable. However, women were not permitted in the American Bowling Congress league. In 1907, the first women’s informal national women’s tournament was held and by 1917, the Women’s International Bowling Congress (WIBC) was formed. This league eventually became the world's largest women's sports league.

First broadcast of Pro bowling on NBC

1958

With the rise of television in the 1950s, bowling saw its first broadcast of "Championship Bowling" on NBC. The sport's popularity grew drastically following the broadcast. In 1958, the PBA (Professional Bowlers Association) was founded. It had 4,300 members in 14 countries worldwide.

Growth of Bowling

2018

Bowling was first demonstrated in the Olympics in 1988. Over 20 nations competed in the demonstration, though no medals were awarded since it was not an official Olympic sport. To this day, bowling has not been added to the Olympic roster, but has been shortlisted several times. In 2015, bowling made the top eight of potential new sports to be featured in the 2020 Summer Olympics, but was later cut for financial reasons.