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We dusted off our bowling shirt and shoes and set out to find the creator of our favorite sport. Happily, our very first search on "who invented bowling" scored a strike. It appears the ancient Egyptians invented the sport of tossing a ball down an alley and listening to the oddly satisfying crash of pins. Archaeologist Sir Flinders Petrie discovered bowling balls and pins in the grave of an Egyptian child from 5200 BC. This seems to be the oldest evidence of the sport and a likely origin, although German historian William Pehle claims
the sport originated in his country around 300 AD. The game flourished in various forms throughout Europe and was particularly popular in England during the reign of King Edward III. It was so popular, in fact, that the king outlawed the game so it wouldn't distract his troops from practicing their swordfighting skills. When America was settled, the Dutch, English, and German all brought their own versions of the game to the new world, where it enjoyed continued popularity, although not without some controversy. In 1870, nine-pin bowling, then the standard, was banned due to its close connection with gambling and other crimes. According to some sources, this led to the invention of ten-pin bowling in an ingenious effort to
circumvent the law. During the 1950s, the invention of the automatic pinsetting machine, which automatically racked the pins and left pinboys unemployed, led to renewed popularity for the game. These days, bowling enjoys a sort of kitschy, retro appeal and has leagues of devoted enthusiasts.
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