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 recorded records of the game date back as far as the 1500s in Northern Europe. The game became popular with men and women of all ages. It has been popularized in the United States for many decades.
In its original form, pool was played on grass or a wooden board with a hole in it. The object balls were numbered one through fifteen. In that the player was able to push the ball, rather than strike it, the game was very similar to croquet. The "mace," a wooden stick used to strike the ball, was introduced in the 1600s.
The game was further refined by adding a cue stick, wooden hoop and balls. It quickly became a popular game in Europe, and eventually it was adopted by the United States. However, the game did not become popular until the Industrial Revolution.
Although the history of the game is not clear, there are many people who contributed to its creation. First, the indoor billiards table was invented by King Louis XI (France). It was also a popular pastime after the Industrial Revolution, and grew in popularity in England. The French nobility also enjoyed the game.
In the 1840s, the game quickly became a favorite sport and was brought to the United States. Many of the first settlers brought the game to the United States, and billiards tournaments were held throughout the country. The game was popularized in more luxurious saloons and because the equipment was expensive, it was not affordable to lower classes.
The game's history was made even more complicated when ivory was introduced as a ball material. Ivory was initially made from elephant trunks. Ivory became more popular in the 17th century, but it was not indestructible and tended to crack when struck with excessive force.
In 1920s, the original pool balls made of ivory were replaced by a different ball material. This new ball material was made from a mixture of nitrocellulose and camphor, and it could explode when struck with extreme force.
This new ball material is called a composite. Although it wasn’t very stable the nitrocellulose offered a cheaper option to ivory. The stick and hoop were finally abandoned after a while. The cue tip also became a leather tip to improve ball hitting.
The game continued to develop, and in the late 1800s, it began to take off in the United States. John Wesley Hyatt (a billiards gamer) invented a ball out of camphor, nitrocellulose, and in the late 1870s. This new ball material was not very stable, and the ball could explode when struck with extreme force.
Another significant figure in the game's development was Michael Phelan, a successful pool player. Phelan's father emigrated from Ireland to the United States in 1883, and Michael followed him into the pool hall business. Phelan eventually wrote a book called pool which inspired a new generation.