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Timeline of events in the history of MONOPOLY(R)

1890s? and 1900s

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  • 189?/190?: Elizabeth Magie creates first versions of The Landlord's Game.

1902

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  • Game discussed in The Single Tax Review. [1]

1903

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  • March 23rd: Application for patent on The Landlord's Game made to the United State Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

1904

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  • January 5th: Patent issued to Magie (USPTO #748,626).

1906

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  • First professional publication of The Landlord's Game by the Economic Game Company of New York.

1910s

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  • 1910?: The Landlord's Game sent to Parker Brothers for possible publication. George Parker declines.

1913

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  • The Landlord's Game published by the Newbie Game Company in the UK as Brer Fox an' Brer Rabbit.

1920s

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1921

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  • First patent on The Landlord's Game expires (after 17 years).

1923

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  • April 28th: Application for patent on revised edition of The Landlord's Game made to the USPTO.

1924

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  • September 23rd: Patent #1,509,312 issued.

1929

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  • Daniel Layman begins selling handmade copies of what becomes Finance.

1930s

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1932

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  • Date unknown: Daniel Layman begins print publication of The Fascinating Game of Finance in Indianapolis, Indiana, through Electronic Laboratories, Inc.
  • Date unknown: Production of Finance is taken over by Knapp Electric, Inc.

1933

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  • Charles Darrow gets a copyright on his game, Monopoly.

193?

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  • Darrow begins sales of Monopoly through the Philadelphia department store Wanamaker's.

1934

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  • May 31st: Milton Bradley rejects the game Monopoly for publication.
  • October 19th: Parker Brothers rejects the game Monopoly for publication.
  • Date unknown: Darrow orders 5000 copies of Monopoly to be printed for the Christmas holiday, 1934.
  • Date unknown: F.A.O. Schwarz orders 200 of the 5000 copies for their NYC store.

1935

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  • Parker Brothers buys out patents and rights to The Landlord's Game and Finance.
  • Parker Brothers begins publication of two editions.
  • August 31st: Darrow files for a patent on Monopoly.
  • December 31st: Patent 2,026,082 issued.

1936

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  • "Rich Uncle Pennybags" (although not yet named) introduced in illustrations.
  • First editions produced outside of the United States, including the United Kingdom (Waddington), France (Miro), and Germany (Schmidt Spiele).
  • Parker Brothers calls for a cessation of production in December
  • First edition of "Stock Exchange" add-on is produced, which could be used with games other than Monopoly

1938

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  • German edition goes out of print due to poor sales (in turn probably due to being denounced by Goebbels).

1940s

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1941

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  • Second patent on The Landlord's Game expires.

1946

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  • Rich Uncle is published, giving a name to the character on the Monopoly cards (Rich Uncle Pennybags).

1950s

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1952

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  • Patent on Monopoly expires.

1959

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  • Every copy of Monopoly on display at the American National Exposition in Moscow, USSR, is stolen.

1960s

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1968

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1970s

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1973

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  • First Edition of Anti-Monopoly published.
  • First U.S./"World" Championship held in the Catskills, New York. Winner was Lee Bayrd of Los Angeles, California.

1974

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  • Second U.S./"World" Championship held in the Catskills, New York. Winner was Alvin Aldridge of Dayton, Ohio.

1975

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  • Third U.S. Championship held in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Winner was A.E. "Gus" Gostomelsky, of Skokie, Illinois.
  • First Canadian Championship held. Winner was Susan Touchbourne of Toronto, Ontario.
  • First "true" World Championship with international participation held in Washington, D.C. Winner was John Mair, of Ireland.

1980s

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1981

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  • First Edition published in Austria. This was the first time Parker Brothers licensed Monopoly to be published there.

1982

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  • First bilingual Canadian Edition published.
  • Replica of German 1936 Edition published.
  • "Playmaster" electronic add-on produced.

1985

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  • Parker Brothers combined with Kenner, spun off from General Mills as Kenner Parker Toys.
  • First full spin-off game (as opposed to an add-on) introduced: Advance to Boardwalk.
  • First International Spanish Edition published by Parker Brothers, USA for domestic use and exporting.
  • First Edition using Australian placenames published.

1987

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  • Kenner Parker Toys acquired by Tonka, renamed to Kenner Parker Tonka (retaining the KPT abbreviation).

1990s

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1990

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  • Television game show edition of Monopoly broadcast on ABC in the U.S. during the summer.
  • First Edition of Monopoly Junior is published.

1991

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  • Kenner Parker Tonka acquired by Hasbro
  • Franklin Mint Collector's Edition first produced; the first set not made at Parker Brothers.
  • Final copies of Monopoly printed at Parker Brothers' Salem, Massachusetts plant.

1992

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  • Chessex produces a new edition of the "Stock Exchange" add-on.

1994

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  • USAopoly granted license to produce custom/localized board games.

1995

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  • Winning Moves granted license to produce products based on Monopoly, including reprintings.

1999

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  • Moneybag token added to game.[2]
  • Pokemon Edition released
  • Millennium Edition released
  • Star Wars: Episode I Edition released in basic and Collector's Edition formats.

2000s

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2000

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  • Monopoly: The Card Game first published by Winning Moves Games
  • Winning Solutions, Inc. granted license to produce special editions of Monopoly games.

2001

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  • Nostalgia Edition produced in a square wooden box

2002

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  • 1935 Deluxe Edition replica produced by Winning Moves Games
  • Michael Graves Design edition sold exclusively at Target

2006

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  • Speed Die introduced with Monopoly: The Mega Edition
  • First plastic card readers introduced with Monopoly Here & Now Electronic Banking Edition

2008

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  • Speed Die introduced into standard editions of Monopoly
  • Standard US edition changed - purple group becomes brown, Income Tax is a flat $200 and Luxury Tax increased to $100. New starting money distribution and higher total amount in the bank. Tokens are reduced to 8.
  • Indiana Jones Edition sold exclusively at Walmart.

2009

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  • Speed Die use mandated starting with this year's US & World Monopoly tournaments.
  • Winning Moves begins sales of "The Classic Edition" with a pre-2008 board.

2010s

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2011

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  • February: Monopoly Live announced at New York Toy Fair.[3]

2012

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  • A custom edition of Monopoly, first developed in the UK, is sold in North America for the first time: The Doctor Who 50th Anniversary Edition

2013

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  • New cat token to replace iron token after public polling on Facebook, January 8 - February 5.

References

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