Mahjong appeared in China during the Qing dynasty, around the middle of the 1800s. Its exact origins are unknown, and popular stories crediting Confucius are legends. In the early 1920s, it reached the United States through Joseph Park Babcock and caused a national craze. The National Mah Jongg League formed in New York in 1937. Today’s wave began in the last few years.
A short timeline
| When | What happened |
|---|---|
| Mid-1800s | Mahjong appears in China, likely growing out of earlier card and tile games |
| 1920 | Joseph Park Babcock publishes his rules in English, and sets begin to reach the US |
| 1920s | A mahjong fad sweeps the United States |
| 1937 | The National Mah Jongg League forms in New York |
| 1949 | After the founding of the People’s Republic of China, a ban on gambling leads to a decline in play |
| 1966 to 1976 | The game is banned in China during the Cultural Revolution |
| 1950s and 1960s | Suburban and Jewish American communities carry a second American wave |
| 1981 | Brodie Lockard creates the computer game that becomes Mahjong Solitaire |
| 2020s | A new social wave, described by press reports |
Read more
- Where mahjong came fromWhat we know, and what is only a legend.
- What mahjong means, and how to say itThe name, the sparrow, and the spelling.
- When and why mahjong was bannedThe game's complicated history in China.
- Mahjong in AmericaFrom the 1920s craze to Jewish American and Chinese American communities.
- Why mahjong is popular nowWhat reports say about the current wave.
How we treat this history
Mahjong belongs to living communities, and its history is still being researched. We label legends as legends, and we cite our sources. Where sources disagree, we say so. If you see something wrong, please tell us.