The pool table has been around since the beginning, even though no one knows the inventor. The earliest known records of the pool table date back to Northern Europe in the 1500s. The game gained popularity with all ages. It has been popularized in the United States for many decades.
Originally, the game of pool was played on grass or a board with a hole in the middle. The object balls were numbered one through fifteen. It was similar in nature to croquet except that the player would shove the ball rather then strike it. In the 1600s, people began using a wooden stick called a "mace" to strike the ball.
The game was refined with the addition of a cue stick, a wooden hoop, and the balls. It quickly became a popular game in Europe, and eventually it was adopted by the United States. It wasn't until the Industrial Revolution that this game became very popular around the world.
While the history of the game isn't clear, it has been developed by many people. First, King Louis XI from France is credited for inventing indoor billiard tables. The game became very popular in England during the Industrial Revolution. It was very popular with the French nobility.
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 more popular in better saloons. However, the equipment was costly and prohibitive for lower income people.
The game's past was further complicated by the introduction of ivory as a material for ball. Originally, ivory was made 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.
In the 1920s, Ivory pool balls were replaced with a new ball material. The new ball material, which was a mixture of camphor and nitrocellulose, could explode if struck with extreme force.
This new ball material is called a composite. Although the nitrocellulose was not very stable, it was an inexpensive alternative to ivory. After some time, the stick was abandoned along with the hoop. The cue tip was also changed to a leather tip, which improved ball hitting.
The game continued to develop, and in the late 1800s, it began to take off in the United States. In the late 1870s, John Wesley Hyatt, a billiards player, invented a ball made of camphor and nitrocellulose. This ball material was not stable and could explode when hit with extreme force.
Michael Phelan (a successful pool player) was another key figure in developing the game. Phelan's father emigrated from Ireland to the United States in 1883, and Michael followed him into the pool hall business. His book on pool was published, and he inspired a new generation in pool to get rid of the ivory balls.