The heroic epic poem Beowolf is produced, laying the groundwork for the fantasy genre.
An English professor who studies Beowolf named J.R.R. Tolkien publishes a sequel to his book The Hobbit called The Lord of the Rings, which sets the blueprint for fantasy adventures with a diverse party of heroes.
Gary Gygax and Jeff Perren create the medieval miniature wargame Chainmail.
1973
After the success of Chainmail, Gygax and Don Kaye found Tactical Studies Rules (TSR) in order to self-publish the new Chainmail-inspired game they're creating.
1974
The first edition of Dungeons & Dragons, created by Gygax and Dave Arneson, is released by TSR. It's the first published role-playing game with a fantasy theme modeled on medieval Europe. It sells 1,000 copies in its first year and 2,000 in its second.
1975
The first two D&D supplements, Greyhawk and Blackmoor, arrive to give players expanded adventures.
1977
TSR splits the game into two brands. Dungeons & Dragons Basic Set caters to new and casual players, while Advanced Dungeons & Dragons is for the hardcore gamers.
1977-79
The three "core rulebooks" of D&D — Monster Manual, the Player's Handbook and the Dungeon Master's Guide, and the Monster Manual — are published, giving generations of dungeon masters a framework to fall back on.
1982
In an early scene in the blockbuster movie E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Elliott's older brother and his friends are seen playing D&D.
1984
TSR publishes its first novel based on D&D lore, Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman's Dragons of Autumn Twilight.
1985
With TSR facing financial issues, Gygax is forced out of the company.
1989
Designed by David "Zeb" Cook, Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 2nd Edition publishes. It removes evil-aligned playable characters and tones down demon imagery (after getting flack from Christian groups during the 1980s Satanic Panic), while adding dashes of horror, sci-fi and alternative history.
1994
The Weezer song "In the Garage" from the band's smash debut Blue Album name-checks the Dungeon Master's Guide and 12-sided die.
1997
Struggling and near bankruptcy, TSR is bought by Seattle-based game publisher Wizards of the Coast, best known for the D&D-inspired Magic: The Gathering card game.
Using AD&D 2nd Edition as its guiding rules, the video game Baldur's Gate arrives on Windows PC and receives wide critical acclaim.
2000
Wizards of the Coast releases Dungeons & Dragons 3rd Edition, which centers the role-playing game on rolling a 20-sided die, standardizes action moves and combat, and loosens restrictions on characters, giving players more creative freedom. The movie version of Dungeons & Dragons also hits theaters and is a critically derided box office bomb. There were even two direct-to-video sequels that you also don't remember!
2008
D&D 4th Edition drops and draws some controversy by the restrictions it places on players who enjoyed the prior edition.
2011
The nerdy NBC sitcom Community airs the episode "Advanced Dungeons & Dragons," which is widely cited as one of the show's best episodes and one of the funniest on-screen depictions of D&D.
2014
On the game's 40th anniversary, D&D 5th Edition arrives. It's still the game's current rules edition which gets occasionally updated.
2015
The web series Critical Role launches with a campaign played by professional voice actors. The series' success opens the door for a slew of D&D web series and podcasts, turning D&D into a viewing or listening experience centered around players' chemistry and humor.
2019
Hyper-literate indie rock band The Mountain Goats release a D&D-inspired album called In League with Dragons.
2020
Virtual play of D&D via online platforms like Roll20 and Fantasy Grounds booms as players remain distanced during the COVID-19 pandemic.
2023
Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves finally delivers a worthy D&D movie, thanks to its charming comedic adventure tone. Baldur's Gate 3 also arrives and instantly becomes one of the biggest video games in the world. It's the first title to win Game of the Year honors at all five of the major video game awards shows.
2024
D&D turns 50 and boasts over 50 million players. ♦
