Now you know
May 4, 2001
Bowling was outlawed in Connecticut in 1841 because of widespread gambling associated with the game. At the time, the centuries-old Dutch pastime used nine pins arranged in a diamond shape. The object was to knock down every pin except the center one. Bowlers got around the ban by adding a pin - and tenpin bowling was born.
Source: The Encyclopedia Americana, 1996 edition
(c) Copyright 2001. The Christian Science Monitor