Timeline: The Early Years of Video Games (1889-1972)

Did you know Nintendo got its industrial start making playing cards in 1889? Check out this timeline (1889-1972) to learn more about the early years of video games, gaming systems, and video game companies.
Grades:
4
5
6
Subjects:
Social Studies and History
Twentieth Century
Society Development and Technology
Themes:
Inventors and Inventions
Add to Folder
creative writing
children's book
activities
classroom tools
language arts and writing
vocabulary
Create new folderCREATE NEW FOLDER
Print

by Amanda Kudler

1889
Nintendo is founded in Japan by Fusajiro Yamauchi. It begins producing handmade playing cards.
1958
Physicist Willy Higinbotham invents the first "video game" at the Brookhaven National Laboratory in Upton, New York. His game, a table tennis-like game, was played on an oscilloscope.
1961
Steve Russell, a student at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), creates Spacewar, the first interactive computer game. It runs on a Digital PDP-1 mainframe computer, and the graphics are made up of ASCII text characters.
1966
Ralph Baer, an engineer at Sanders Associates, receives support from his company (a military electronics consulting firm in NH) to explore his idea of creating interactive games using a television.
1967
Baer and team are successful in creating two interactive TV games—a chase game and a tennis game. They are also able to manipulate a toy gun so that it detects spots of light on the TV screen.
1970
Magnavox licenses Baer's TV game from Sanders Associates


Nolan Bushnell and Ted Dabney (future founders of Atari) begin their attempt to create an arcade version of Spacewar, calling it Computer Space.
1971
Computer Space becomes first video arcade game ever released. 1500 games are distributed. Public consensus is that it is too difficult to play.
1972
April 25
A U.S. patent is issued to Ralph Baer for "A Television Gaming Apparatus and Method"


May 24
Magnavox's Odyssey, the first home video game system, is showcased at a convention in Burlingame, CA, and is released to the public later that year.


Bushnell and Dabney found Atari. They name the company after a term from the Japanese game "Go". "Atari" is equivalent to "check" in a chess game.


Al Alcorn is hired by Atari to program video games. The first game created by Atari is Pong. Ping-Pong, the original name, is already copyrighted, so the makers name it Pong after the sound of a ball hitting the paddle.

Featured Middle School Resources

Test Prep Strategies and Practice for Students

ACTIVITIES

Test Prep Strategies, Tools, and Practice Questions

Help set your students up for academic success with this packet of test-taking tips, test preparation strategies, and pr...

Add to Folder
creative writing
children's book
activities
classroom tools
language arts and writing
vocabulary
Create new folderCREATE NEW FOLDER
Elements of Poetry Workbook

WORKBOOKS

Elements of Poetry Workbook

Use this poetry toolbox workbook to support your students to learn different poetic terms and devices, and then practice...

Add to Folder
creative writing
children's book
activities
classroom tools
language arts and writing
vocabulary
Create new folderCREATE NEW FOLDER
History of Earth Day Reading Passage and Quiz

ACTIVITIES

Earth Day Activities: History of Earth Day Reading Passage and Quiz

Help your students work on their reading comprehension skills while learning all about Earth Day with this reading compr...

Add to Folder
creative writing
children's book
activities
classroom tools
language arts and writing
vocabulary
Create new folderCREATE NEW FOLDER

Related Resources

REFERENCE

1972 Ice Hockey: Team Canada vs. USSR

Enrichment Ideas:Have students research the hockey rivalry between Canada and the Soviet Union.

Add to Folder
creative writing
children's book
activities
classroom tools
language arts and writing
vocabulary
Create new folderCREATE NEW FOLDER

REFERENCE

Ralph Johnson Bunche

1904-1971 Won Nobel Peace Prize in 1950 Birthplace: Detroit, MI Education: University o...

Add to Folder
creative writing
children's book
activities
classroom tools
language arts and writing
vocabulary
Create new folderCREATE NEW FOLDER

REFERENCE

Negro League Baseball

Have you ever heard of Oscar Charleston — does his name ring a bell at all? He's recognized by some as one of the most...

Add to Folder
creative writing
children's book
activities
classroom tools
language arts and writing
vocabulary
Create new folderCREATE NEW FOLDER

REFERENCE

Althea Gibson

1927-Tennis PlayerBirthplace: Silver, SC Althea was born on a cotton farm in South Carolina; her parents were sh...

Add to Folder
creative writing
children's book
activities
classroom tools
language arts and writing
vocabulary
Create new folderCREATE NEW FOLDER

REFERENCE

What is Yom Kippur?

Jewish 'Day of Atonement' considers spiritual well-being by David Johnson Yom Kippur is one of the most serious Jewish h...

Add to Folder
creative writing
children's book
activities
classroom tools
language arts and writing
vocabulary
Create new folderCREATE NEW FOLDER

REFERENCE

Happy Birthday Canada

Canada Day commemorates the day that Canada became a nation.

Add to Folder
creative writing
children's book
activities
classroom tools
language arts and writing
vocabulary
Create new folderCREATE NEW FOLDER
Register
loading gif