1938 – 2008

Gary Gygax

American game designer and author (1938–2008)

role-playing game designergame designernovelistpublisherboard game designer

Born

1938-07-27, Chicago

Died

2008-03-04

Birthplace state

Illinois

Biography

Ernest Gary Gygax was an American game designer and author best known for co-creating the pioneering tabletop role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) with Dave Arneson.

Occupation

Gary Gygax is recorded as a role-playing game designer, a game designer, a novelist, a publisher, a board game designer, a businessperson and a writer, born in Illinois (1938–2008).

Connections to Illinois

Gary Gygax was born in Chicago, Illinois in 1938. Explore other notable figures from Illinois, historic sites connected to this era, and the full colonial and statehood history of the state using the links below.

Other notable figures from Illinois›Illinoishistory ›Historic sites in Illinois›

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Overview

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The Land

The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.

Geology

The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.

LiDAR Terrain

Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.

Conflict & War

The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.

The Civil War

The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.

The Soldiers

The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.

Native Heritage

The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.

Settlement

Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.

The Community

How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.

Rivers & Rail

The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.

Notable People

The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.

Historical Maps

Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.

Finds & Access

Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.

Literature

The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.

Spotlight

A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.

Points of Interest

The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.

Timeline

The whole story of the location told era by era, from first peoples to the present day.

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More notable figures from Illinois

Other historical figures born in Illinois, ranked by historical prominence.

Ronald Reagan

president of the United States from 1981 to 1989 and actor (1911-2004)

Walt Disney

American animator, producer, director, screenwriter, voice actor and entrepreneur, founder of The Walt Disney Company (1901–1966)

Ernest Hemingway

American author and journalist (1899–1961)

Robin Williams

American actor and comedian (1951–2014)

Ray Bradbury

American author and screenwriter (1920–2012)

Bobby Fischer

American chess player (1943–2008)

James Watson

American molecular biologist, geneticist, zoologist and Nobel Laureate (1928–2025)

Frequently asked about Gary Gygax

Who was Gary Gygax?

Gary Gygax was American game designer and author (1938–2008), born in Illinois (1938 – 2008).

When and where was Gary Gygax born?

Gary Gygax was born on 1938-07-27 in Chicago.

When did Gary Gygax die?

Gary died on 2008-03-04.

What was Gary Gygax known for?

Gary Gygax is recorded as a role-playing game designer, a game designer, a novelist, a publisher, a board game designer, a businessperson and a writer.

Source

Biographical content adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. Source: Wikipedia.

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