Walk into any pub in the world and more likely than not, alongside a bar, a couple of taps, and some beaten up stools, there'll be a dartboard somewhere in the establishment. In addition to being a professional sport, darts is also a classic pub game all over the Northern Hemisphere. It's one of the few things the Scandinavians, the Irish, the Germans, and even the Americans all have in common. The game consists of throwing small "missiles" at a circular, fixed board, and can be played with as few as two people or as many as two full teams. So where exactly did one of our most beloved bar games start?
Darts originated in the U.K. sometime in the mid-19th century. It's been said that the game first started with soldiers throwing short arrows at tree trunks or the bottom of a barrel. Wood would dry out and cracks would form, creating "sections" on their makeshift boards. Apparently some woodworkers even began paying their bar bills by making homemade dartboards and giving them to pubs! Dartboards used to be called "butts," coming from the French word for target. The first set of proper darts was crafted using wood, lead for weight, and turkey feathers.
Tempted to join a dart league yet? Maybe not. Tempted to head to your local pub and get to practicing over a beer? We thought so.