How old is darts? Around 170 years of history, not one invention date

Darts can be traced back to the mid-19th century—roughly 170 years ago as of 2026—but it has no verified single invention date. Darts historian Patrick Chaplin identifies darts at fairgrounds from that period, while his academic history traces the manufacturing industry’s beginnings to the mid-to-late Victorian toy and fancy-goods trade. The familiar numbered-board game developed later. (Chaplin on early darts, Darts in England, 1900–39)

The useful distinction is between the age of the game, the modern dartboard, and the professional organisations running today’s tournaments.

Which starting point are you counting?

These are milestones, not competing claims about the day darts was invented. Ages are calculated by calendar year to 2026.

Starting point	Date	Time elapsed to 2026
Darts appearing at fairgrounds, according to Chaplin	Mid-19th century	Roughly 170 years
Thomas Buckle’s 20-segment Yorkshire board, in Chaplin’s account	1913	113 years
First News of the World competition, initially in London	1927/28 season	98–99 years
World Darts Council formed, later becoming the PDC	January 1992	34 years

The early board dates come from Chaplin’s dartboard research; the competition date from his history of darts; and the professional body’s founding date from the PDC’s own account.

Was darts invented in 1896?

1896 is not a reliable birthday for darts. It comes from the frequently repeated claim that Brian Gamlin, a carpenter from Bury, devised the modern dartboard’s numbering that year.

Chaplin disputes that account. He reports finding no matching death record for Gamlin and considers the story an invention. His preferred attribution for the numbering sequence is Thomas Buckle, who, he says, converted a fives board into a 20-segment Yorkshire board in 1913. The treble ring was added when that design was adapted in the south. That is a claim about the board’s development, not the invention of darts itself. (Chaplin’s assessment)

What about medieval soldiers throwing arrows?

Stories about soldiers shortening arrows and throwing them at barrel ends are not established origin accounts. Pub-games historian Arthur Taylor, in an article reproduced by Chaplin, notes the absence of historical evidence for the Agincourt and English Civil War versions. He also distinguishes Henry VIII’s large, outdoor throwing darts from the pub game we recognise today. (Taylor on darts-origin myths)

How old is the PDC?

The PDC’s history is much shorter than the game’s. It began as the World Darts Council in January 1992, with its first World Championship played over the 1993–94 festive period. Those dates mark the organisation and its championship—not the beginning of competitive or professional darts. (PDC history)

For the championship era rather than the game’s origins, see our World Championship final averages by year.