March 7, 2023 – Theme Week Day 2

Our theme week on Things You Didn’t Know Were Invented by Women continues! Today we’re talking about the board game Monopoly. Its predecessor was called The Landlord’s Game, and was invented by Elizabeth Magie. She first patented it in 1904 and began self-publishing it in 1906. It was meant to be an educational tool to show the negative aspects of concentrating land in private monopolies. 30 years later, Parker Brothers published a slightly modified version of her game as Monopoly. However, Magie got no credit for it, as Charles Darrow claimed the idea as his own, saying that he invented the game in his basement. Magie later spoke out about this wrong, and reported that she had only made $500 from her invention, despite Monopoly  being a very popular game. Today, the game has sold over 275 million copies and has been translated into more than 37 languages. If you’re looking for some strategy for your next game of Monopoly, here’s a tip: The orange properties are the best to own, and in all the most frequently landed on properties are Illinois Avenue, New York Avenue, B&O Railroad, and Reading Railroad. According the Hasbro, the longest game of Monopoly lasted for 70 days! Learn more here.