The Paintball History TimeLine
1970: Although it would not be used as a "paintball marker" for another 11 years, it was in 1970 that Daisy, the airgun company patented the first paintball marker. The purpose of this marker was to mark trees and cattle.
1981: In June of 1981, 12 friends went into the New Hampshire woods with Daisy markers, oil based paint, and shop goggles. They played a game in which the goal was to capture each player's flag--12 flags in all. The winner (Ritchie White) captured all 12 flags and never fired a single shot.
1982: The first commercial paintball field (outdoor field) opened its doors. Caleb Strong (who would become one of the better know tournament players in the world in the late 1980s on his team called the PMI Piranhas) opened the first field in Rochester New York.
1982: Bob Gurnsey saw the potential of what went on that day in the woods in 1981. He approached Nelson, the company that made the paintballs for forestry and cut a deal to buy directly from them. He then marketed paintball under the name "National Survival Game. (NSG)" Pursuit Marketing Inc, (PMI) also entered the paintball marketplace and have grown into one of the largest distributors in the world since.
1983: The first NSG paintball tournament was held.
1984-85: Paintball spreads to England and Australia.
1988: IPPA (International Paintball Players Association) is founded as a nonprofit association dedicated to the education, growth and safety of the sport of paintball.
1991: Paintball begins in France, Denmark and other countries in Europe.
1991: The first International Amateur Open took place. It was sponsored by California Magnum Paintballs. Bad Company won the five-man portion of the event.
1992: After years of playing the Lively tournament circuit, the players call a "players only" meeting to discuss starting a player-run league. They met in Chicago and formed a league which they called the National Professional Paintball League (NPPL).
1993: The NPPL ran four events in their first season as a new league.
1994: ESPN filmed and aired segments of the DC Cup, promoted by PCRI in Washington DC.
1994: WARPIG.com went online as the first paintball-only website.
1996: ESPN produced and aired the ESPN World Championships of Paintball. Rage.
1996: The IPPA is officially disbanded.
1997: Electro-Pneumatic markers hit the main market.
1999: The Old School Challenge (OSC) is born!
2001: The OSC becomes a Series!
2002: X Ball Debuts.
2003: The OSC becomes the largest pump series in the world!
