Mah Jong Timeline

1220 A.D.: Dominos are invented in China during the Bei Song Dynasty.

1644 A.D.: In China, during the Qing Dynasty, the card game Ma Diao is invented.

Late 1800s: Dominos and Ma Diao lead to the birth of Mah Jong that is credited as being introduced by Hung Hsiu-Ch'uan who leads a rebellion and declares himself as Emperor of Nanking where he is said to have introduced the game Ma Que in his court which is basically Mah Jong. During this period, Ma Que becomes Ma Jiang or Mah Jong.

1870/1880: Two brothers in Ningpo invent the game Ma-Tiao which is very similar to Mah Jong.

1905: The game Mah Jong begins its march across China.

1907: The game Mah Jong lands in Japan.

1920: The game Mah Jong has conquered all of China.

1922: Mah Jong migrates to the U.S. with the help of Joseph P. Babcock, who hacks down the original Chinese game so it will be simpler to play. This helps the sale of the game briefly but Americans grow weary of the simple rules and begin to add their own, which leads to mass confusion in the Mah Jong community.

1923: Mah Jong migrates to Britain with both Chinese and American versions played. The British, unlike the Americans, are aware that the Chinese version is the original. The Queens Club Rules is released and basically stays true to the Chinese version and may explain why Mah Jong has a longer lifespan in Britain during this era.

1924: In the U.S. two new versions of Mah Jong surface: "One Double" and "Clear Hand." However, like Babcock's simpler version, these two games were briefly popular but fade out, hurting the popularity of Mah Jong in the U.S.

1935: Mah Jong rises in the U.S. again thanks to The National Mah Jong League Inc. publishing the new rules which really aren't any different than the game of ten years ago.

1937: In Japan, Mah Jong is banned during the Sino-Japanese War.