The bowling ball falls from your hand and races down the 60-foot lane. The sound of the pins breaking the silence of the moment. This thrilling moment is the charm of bowling. Bowling, enjoyed by people all over the world, is a sport with history spanning thousands of years.
The history of bowling dates back about 7,000 years. It comes from items found in the tomb of an Egyptian child buried in 5200 BC. Among the discovered items were wooden balls and pins, and historically, bowling first appeared in medieval Europe around the 13th and 14th centuries. However, unlike today, bowling in the Middle Ages was used not as a recreational game but as a religious ritual. Nine pins were used during these religious ceremonies, rather than the current ten.This ritual was also closely associated with gambling and illegal activities. Many people bet money on the 9-pin bowling games, and it became a social problem that the Puritans strongly protested because people were speaking badly, drinking too much, and causing too many accidents. Finally, in 1841, New York City issued an order legally banning 9-pin bowling.
Bowling’s popularity died down, but some bowlers opposed the ban on bowling and eventually adapted the game to represent the more modern ten-pin bowling. This game was reconstructed with 10 pins arranged in an equilateral triangle shape, unlike the previous game which had 9 pins, in response to protests from bowling enthusiasts. Since bowling with 10 pins was not the original 9-pin game, this change brought back the game to the people and made it similar to the modern game we know today.
With the launch of the American Bowling Congress in 1895, bowling’s rules were formally introduced. Points were set up to 300. ball weight limited up to 16 pounds, and pin-to-pin distance of 12 inches. The introduction of these rules and parameters allowed bowling to be recognized as an official sport.
Bowling is a sport with a long history, originating in ancient Egypt and continuing through medieval Europe to its modern form. Bowling has changed and developed through various time periods in history and has become a sport loved by many people today. With continued innovation, bowling will continue to develop by reflecting new technologies.
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