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On his Global Toy News blog, Richard Gottlieb lists what he believes are the ten most significant moments for toys in history.
- At number 1 is the 1969 war that Honduras and El Salvador fought over a soccer game.
- His number 4 is the Boris Spasky Bobby Fisher chess match.
- Number 6, ping pong diplomacy between the United States and China.
- Number 7, the Aces and Eights found in Wild Bill Hickok’s hands when he was shot.
- Number 8, Ace becoming the high card after the French revolution.
- Number 10, the role of the war game, Kriegspiel, in the Prussian defeat of France.
What do you think of his ranking? Can you suggest any others?
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I’d probably put some more emphasis on #10. Not only did the Japanese extensively wargame their attack on Pearl Harbor, but apparently they also did so for the battle of Midway. The referees had to intervene to overturn the results of the game when the Japanese officer playing the American side wiped out the invading carriers by placing his carriers to the northeast of Midway. They brought one or two Japanese carriers back to life because they didn’t think the result was realistic.
Except, as it turns out, that’s exactly what happened in real life.
I have no idea if that story is apocryphal, but I love it.
I wrote an article a while back on the top ten most important game events in history, for a contrast:
http://jergames.blogspot.com/2007/12/ten-most-important-game-events-ever.html
Yehuda