November 5, 1935: Parker Brothers Begins Selling "Monopoly"

November 5, 1935: Parker Brothers, an American manufacturer of toys and games, begins selling the board game "Monopoly." 

"Monopoly" is derived from "The Landlord's Game," created by Lizzie Magie in 1903, as a way to demonstrate that an economy that rewards individuals is better than one where monopolies hold all the wealth, and to promote the economic theories of Henry George, in particular, his ideas about taxation. When Parker Brothers first published "Monopoly" in 1935, the game did not include the less capitalistic taxation rule, resulting in a more aggressive game. 

In the game, players roll two dice to move around the game board, buying and trading properties and developing them with houses and hotels. Once a player buys all 3 properties on a block, thus establishing a monopoly, they can put a first house on it; once each has a first house, a second; a third; a fourth; and, after the fourth house, a hotel. Each new build increases a property's rent.

Players collect rent from their opponents and aim to drive them into bankruptcy. Money can also be gained or lost through "Chance" and "Community Chest" cards and tax squares. Players receive a salary every time they pass "Go," and can end up in jail, from which they cannot move until they have met one of three conditions: Paying a fine, rolling a "double" on the dice, or rolling the dice 3 times regardless of result (thus "serving their time").

The original game was based on locations in the shore resort of Atlantic City, New Jersey, including the Boardwalk and 4 railroads that once served the city: The Reading, the Pennsylvania, the Baltimore & Ohio (B&O), and the Short Line.

"Monopoly" has become a part of international popular culture, having been licensed locally in more than 103 countries, and printed in more than 37 languages. Variations on it are affiliated with individual cities, sports teams, universities, and other pop-culture phenomena such as movies and television shows. As of 2015, it was estimated that the game had sold 275 million copies worldwide. Parker Brothers was eventually absorbed into Hasbro in 1991.

A recent joke is that "Monopoly" must be an old game: There's a luxury tax, and rich people can go to Jail. This certainly appealed to people in 1935, with the Great Depression still going on.

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November 5, 1935 was a Tuesday. Baseball was out of season. Football was in midweek. The NBA hadn't been founded yet. And the NHL season started 2 days later. So there were no scores on this historic day.