THE SPORT OF BOWLING HAS A LONG HISTORY, AND TODAY IS MAKING QUITE A COMEBACK. MANY FORMS OF BOWLING HAVE BEEN TRACED BACK TO 3200 B.C. ALTHOUGH A GERMAN HISTORIAN, WILLIAM PEHLE, CLAIMS THAT BOWLING BEGAN IN HIS COUNTRY ABOUT 300 A.D. THERE IS ALSO EVIDENCE THAT A FORM OF BOWLING WAS POPULAR IN ENGALND IN 1366, WHEN KING EDWARD THE III ALEGEDLY OUTLAWED IT TO KEEP HIS TROOPS FOCUSED ON ARCHERY PRACTICE.
BOWLING TECHNOLOGY TOOK A BIG STEP FORWARD IN THE EARLY 1900'S. BALLS USED TO BE PRIMARILY LIGNUM VITAE, A VERY HARD WOOD. IN 1905 THE FIRST RUBBER BALL THE EVERTRUE WAS INTRODUCED AND IN 1914 THE BRUNSWICK CORPORATION (brunswickbowling.com) SUCCESSFULLY PROMOTED THE MINERALITE BALL, TOUTING A "MYSTERIOUS RUBBER COMPOUND".
THE GAME SOON BECAME ORGANIZED WITH AGREED UPON STANDARDS AND WAS GROWING IN POPULARITY. ONE GREAT TECHNOLOGICAL BREAK THROUGH THAT CHANGED THE GAME WAS THE INVENTION OF THE AUTOMATIC PINSETTER BY GOTTFRIED SCHMIDT. THE PATENT TO THIS WAS LATER PURCHASED BY AMF CORP. WHO WENT ON TO BECOME A LEADER IN THE BOWLING INDUSTRY.
TELEVISION ALSO HELPED EXPAND THE GROWTH OF THE BOWLING INDUSTRY AS WELL. NBC’S BROADCAST OF CHAMPIONSHIP BOWLING WAS THE FIRST NETWORK COVERAGE OF BOWLING. COVERAGE EXPANDED TO "MAKE THAT SPARE" AND "BOWLING FOR DOLLARS"
TODAY THE SPORT OF BOWLING IS ENJOYED BY 100 MILLION PEOPLE IN MORE THAN 90 COUNTRIES WORLDWIDE.
A BRIEF HISTORY | TRIVIA | WHERE IS BOWLING GOING?