Do not pass go: 10 fun facts about Monopoly – includiung Chocolate Monopoly?

Who didn’t spend an evening crying over a Monopoly board as child? Whether your big brother bought hotels on every spot from Pacific Avenue to Boardwalk or you ended up stuck with the thimble every time, Monopoly comes with a lot of bad memories for some folks. For others, Monopoly marked the pinnacle of their real estate acquisition achievements and board game domination. Although, how much do you know about the iconic game?

Learn a little something with ten fun facts about Monopoly, courtesy of Answers.com wealth of references resources.

1. Monopoly is based on a game called “The Landlord’s Game” that was first published by Quaker and political activist Elizabeth Magie in 1903.
2. During World War II, the British Secret Service commissioned a special version of Monopoly for prisoners of war held by the Nazis. The game included maps, compasses, real money, and other objects useful for escaping.
3. The mustached gentleman that serves as the game’s mascot is named Rich Uncle Pennybags.
4. Illinois Avenue, New York Avenue, B&O Railroad, and Reading Railroad are the most frequently landed-upon properties.
5. The longest game of Monopoly ever played lasted 1,680 hours (70 days or 10 weeks or 2 1/3 months).
6. The priciest property on the British version of Monopoly is Mayfair.
7. The Monopoly World Championships have been taken place each year since 1973. The top prize is $20,580.
8. In 1978, Neiman Marcus sold an all-Chocolate edition of Monopoly for the Christmas shopping season. The entire set was edible, including the money, and retailed for $600.
9. Prior to 2008, the U.S. Version of the game contained $15,140 in bills, but that number was upped to $20,580 in September 2008.
10. Hasbro claims 500 million people have played Monopoly.

All these random tidbits came from Answers.com.

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