Monopoly

Monopoly is one of the most played board games in the world. The game is named after the economic concept of monopoly, the domination of a market by a single entity. Apart from the original game there are now many worldwide versions such as Star Wars Clone Wars edition, Simpsons and Disney.

The history of Monopoly can be traced back to 1903, when Elizabeth Phillips created a game through which she hoped to be able to explain the single tax theory of Henry George. Her game, The Landlord's Game, was commercially published in 1924.

Charles Darrow is thought to have played "The Landlord's Game" in Philadelphia. He was made unemployed in the 1929 crash and decided to create a board game based on the ideas of the Landlord's Game but setting it specifically in Atlantic City where he used to holiday. He called this game "Monopoly" launching it in 1930 and quickly making him rich.

In 1935 Parker Brothers bought the rights from Darrow and started manufacturing a slightly updated version. In the same year Waddington’s bought the UK rights to the game and made a version based on the streets of London.

According to Hasbro, since Charles Darrow made the game in 1933 and sold it to Parker Brothers in 1935, more than one billion people have played the game, making it "the most played (commercial) board game in the world."