Dominoes are one of the oldest toys and games known to man. They can be arranged in all sorts of shapes, and can even be used to make art. In today’s Wonder, we will learn a little bit more about this classic toy—and the many ways people use it!
A domino is a small oblong piece of wood or other material with a blank or identically patterned side, and a side bearing from one to six pips or dots. 28 such pieces form a complete set of dominoes. Dominoes are used to play a variety of games, most of which involve matching the ends of two pieces with their values. The word domino is derived from the Latin dominus, meaning “lord.”
In an earlier sense, the word appeared in English around 1750, and was used to denote a long, hooded cloak worn with a mask for carnival season or at masquerades. An even earlier sense of the word, in French, may be linked to this garment: the word originally meant a cape worn by a priest over his surplice.
The earliest dominoes were likely made in China around the 1300s, but it is difficult to know for sure. The European version of the game developed in the late 1400s. Early sets of dominoes were made with a numbering system based on the results of throwing a die. Some of the more modern sets use a different numbering scheme, and some are even numbered with Arabic numerals instead of pips.
After Domino’s founder Tom Monaghan stumbled upon a great pizza delivery idea, he began expanding his company. By 1985, Domino’s was the top pizza delivery service, with a thirty-minute guarantee on all deliveries. In the decades that followed, Domino’s continued to grow and become an international success story, despite some bumps along the way.
In 2010, Domino’s CEO, Steve Doyle, embraced a new core value: “Champion Our Customers.” This meant listening to their concerns and responding to them. The result was a smoother ride for the company. It also meant a focus on innovation.
Whether it’s a custom-made vehicle to speed up delivery or a drone to improve accuracy, these innovations are designed to help Domino’s deliver on their promise. These projects aren’t just about pizza—they’re also a good way to modernize the brand image and create a sense of style and fun.
Hevesh is a domino artist who creates elaborate displays for movies, television shows, and events—including an album launch for Katy Perry. She started making videos of her domino creations when she was just 10 years old, and now her YouTube channel has more than 2 million subscribers. When she starts a project, Hevesh tests each section separately to make sure it works before putting it all together. Sometimes her largest domino arrangements can take several nail-biting minutes to fall, but once they do, the results are spectacular.