Gary Gygax Day
Gather together your friends and play a game of Dungeons and Dragons to honor the life and legacy of Gary Gygax, creator of this beloved game.
True lovers of the role-playing game, Dungeons and Dragons, will know the person that this day is about. Welcome to Gary Gygax Day!
History of Gary Gygax Day
Gary Gygax, along with Dave Arneson, was the creator of Dungeons and Dragons, also affectionately known as D&D. This game was first introduced to the world in 1974 as one of the first tabletop fantasy role-playing games, and it has only grown in popularity over almost five decades of play.
Often referred to as the “father of modern role-playing games”, Gary Gygax and his business partner were creative minds who at first had trouble getting the world to pay attention. In fact, they couldn’t get a publisher for their game and eventually published it themselves under the business name Tactical Studies Rules.
Now, with an estimated three million tabletop Dungeon Masters located all over the world, and approximately 50 million active players, Dungeons and Dragons is a game to be taken very seriously! And while the game was invented in the United States, its popularity in Canada has grown significantly. Not only that, in one year the play of D&D grew by 65% in European countries.
Upon his death in 2008, the fan base proclaimed that Gary’s birthday of July 27 was Gary Gygax Day, or sometimes called Dungeons and Dragons Day, in honor of the creator of this inspiring tabletop role-playing game that has had such a significant influence on modern gaming today. So get on board Gary Gygax Day, or D&D Day, and have a delightful time paying homage to tabletop play!
How to Celebrate Gary Gygax Day
Have a magical time enjoying and celebrating Gary Gygax Day with a load of fun activities, starting with some of these ideas:
Play Dungeons and Dragons
Of course, the best way to celebrate and show respect on Gary Gygax Day would be to gather a group of friends together to engage in some Dungeons and Dragons Play. Those who are new to the game will want to learn from the masters so check in with a friend who plays and get invited along. Or, perform a little search online to see what types of D&D groups meet in the local area for play in coffee shops, pubs, comic books stores and more. Then, join in on the fun!
Sport Some Dungeons and Dragons Garb
Big fans of the game shouldn’t have to reach far back into their closet or dresser drawer to pull out a D&D t-shirt, hoodie, baseball cap or beanie. Because Gary Gygax Day is the perfect time to don that fan apparel to show support for the game and the makers behind it.
Learn Interesting Facts About Gary Gygax
Get to know the man behind the game and behind Gary Gygax Day by learning some bits of information about him, such as these:
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Though he was named after actor Gary Cooper, Gary is actually his middle name – he was born Ernest Gary Gygax.
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At one point Gary’s wife thought he was having an affair, but he was really just gaming late into the night.
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In the year of its release, over 1000 copies of D&D were sold, much to Gygax’s surprise.
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Sadly, though he started it, Gary Gygax was eventually kicked out of his own company but he never stopped creating role playing games (RPGs).
