About Milton Bradley Board Games

The Milton Bradley Company was the first U.S. company to produce board games. It dominated the industry through the 20th century with titles like Battleship, Connect Four, Twister and Yahtzee.

The Founder

Company founder Milton Bradley was born in 1836, in Maine. He trained as an engineering draftsman and is also credited with inventing the paper cutter. In 1860, Bradley released The Checkered Game Of Life, starting the company.

Major Acquisitions

In 1920, Milton Bradley acquired McLouglin Brothers, at the time the United States' largest game manufacturer. In 1987, Milton Bradley acquired Selchor and Righter, makers of Parcheesi and Scrabble. In 1984, the company was itself acquired by Hasbro.

Game Show Games

Through the 1960s and 1970s, the company was known for making licensed home versions of TV game shows. These included Family Feud, Sale of the Century, The Price Is Right and Jeopardy.

Video Games

In November 1979, Milton Bradley released the first ever hand-held game console to use interchangeable cartridges, the Microvision. In 1982, this was followed by the Vectrex. In the 1980s, the company also made games for the Atari 2600 and the NES.

Notable Titles

In addition to the well-known titles mentioned above, Milton Bradley has also produced Twister, Hungry Hungry Hippos, Chutes And Ladders, Stratego and Jenga.

References

• BoardGameGeek