While no one knows who invented the pool table or how it was created, there's no doubt that it's been around for a long time. The earliest records of the game date back to the 1500s in Northern Europe. The game gained popularity with all ages. It has remained immensely popular in the United States throughout many years.
The original version of pool was played with grass or a board having a hole at the center. It was played using object balls that had numbers from 1 to 15. It was similar to croquet in that the player pushed the ball instead of striking it. To strike the ball, people used a stick made of wood called a "mace" in the 1600s.
The game was further refined by adding a cue stick, wooden hoop and balls. The game was very popular in Europe and spread quickly to the United States. However, it was not until the Industrial Revolution that the game became popular worldwide.
Although the history of the game is not clear, there are many people who contributed to its creation. First, the indoor billiard was invented by King Louis XI in France. The game became very popular in England during the Industrial Revolution. The French nobility loved the game.
After the game was introduced to the United States, it developed into a very popular sport in the 1840s. Many of the first settlers brought billiards to the United States. Tournaments were held across the country. The game became popular in nicer saloons, and the cost of the equipment was prohibitive to the lower classes.
The game's past was further complicated by the introduction of ivory as a material for ball. Ivory was originally made out of elephant tusks. Although Ivory was more popular in 17th-century Europe, it was not indestructible. It also tends to crack when hit with too much force.
The 1920s saw the introduction of a new ball material that replaced ivory pool balls. This ball material was made of a mixture nitrocellulose and camphor. It could explode if it was struck with extreme force.
This new ball material was called composite balls. Although it wasn’t very stable the nitrocellulose offered a cheaper option to ivory. After a while, the stick and hoop were abandoned. Also, the cue tip was changed to a leather tip which greatly improved ball hitting.
The game continued to develop, and in the late 1800s, it began to take off in the United States. John Wesley Hyatt invented a ball using camphor (and nitrocellulose) in the late 1800s. This ball material did not last long and could explode if it was struck with great force.
Michael Phelan was another important figure in the development of the game. He is a well-known pool player. Phelan, whose father immigrated from Ireland into the United States in 1883 and Michael followed him to the pool hall trade, was born in Ireland. He wrote a book on the subject of pool that inspired new generations to leave behind ivory balls and moved to the table.