Ernest Gary Gygax (1938 - 2008)

Born 27 Jul 1938 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois, United States

Ancestors

Died 4 Mar 2008 at age 69 in Lake Geneva, Walworth, Wisconsin, United States

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Biography

Gary Gygax is Notable.

Gary Gygax was born 27 July 1938, in Chicago, Illinois.

He was an American game player, game designer, game publisher, and in his later years, fantasy novelist. He was best known for co-creating the role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons with Dave Arneson, David Lance Arneson (1947-2009).

In 1967, Gygax co-founded the International Federation of Wargamers (IFW) with Bill Speer and Scott Duncan. Also in 1967, Gygax organized a 20-person gaming meet in the basement of his home; this event would later be referred to as "Gen Con 0".

In 1968, Gygax rented Lake Geneva's Horticultural Hall to hold the first Lake Geneva Convention, also known as the Gen Con gaming convention for short, which later became one of North America's largest annual hobby-game gatherings. Gygax met Dave Arneson, the future co-creator of D&D, at the second Gen Con in August 1969.

In 1971, he began doing some editing work at Guidon Games, a publisher of wargames. Early that same year, Gygax published Chainmail, a miniatures wargame that simulated medieval-era tactical combat, which he had originally written with hobby-shop owner Jeff Perren. Guidon Games hired Gygax to produce a "Wargaming with Miniatures" series of games, and a new edition of Chainmail (1971) was the first book in the series.  The first edition of Chainmail included a fantasy supplement to the rules.

Gygax collaborated on Tractics with Mike Reese & Leon Tucker, his contribution being the change to a 20-sided spinner or a coffee can with 20 numbered poker chips (or eventually 20-sided dice) to decide combat resolutions instead of the standard 6-sided dice.  He also collaborated with Dave Arneson on the Napoleonic naval wargame "Don't Give Up the Ship!"

In the fall of 1972, around late November, Dave Arneson (creator of the game Blackmoor) and friend David Megarry (inventor of the Dungeon! board game), traveled to Lake Geneva to showcase their respective games to Gygax, in his role as a representative of Guidon Games. Gygax saw potential in both games, and was especially excited by Arneson's role-playing game. Gygax and Arneson immediately started to collaborate on creating "The Fantasy Game", the role-playing game which would evolve into Dungeons & Dragons.

In 1974, Gary and his wargaming friend, Dave Arneson, both created Dungeons and Dragons, the world’s first fantasy role-playing game. Gary cofounded the company Tactical Studies Rules (TSR) with his friend Don Kaye [insert profile here], which published Dungeons and Dragons and other games. Dungeons and Dragons was arguably the most innovative game of the 20th century and established the formula for computer roleplaying games and multiuser, online roleplaying games.

In 2004, he suffered two strokes and narrowly avoided a subsequent heart attack. He was then diagnosed with an abdominal aortic aneurysm and died on 4 March 2008 in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin.

Sources

• "United States Census, 1940," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K49S-JPP : 14 March 2018), Gary Gygax in household of Ernest Gygax, Ward 48, Chicago, Chicago City, Cook, Illinois, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 103-3108, sheet 12B, line 54, family 343, Sixteenth Census of the United States, 1940, NARA digital publication T627. Records of the Bureau of the Census, 1790 - 2007, RG 29. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2012, roll 1019.

• Wikipedia: Gary Gygax
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gary_Gygax

• "Illinois, Cook County, Birth Certificates, 1871-1949," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QL99-NNZZ : 27 March 2017), Ernest Gygax, 27 Jul 1938; Chicago, Cook, Illinois, United States, reference/certificate 28602, Cook County Clerk, Cook County Courthouse, Chicago; FHL microfilm .
  • "Illinois, Cook County, Birth Certificates, 1871-1949," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QL99-NNZR : 27 March 2017), Ernest Gary Gygax, 27 Jul 1938; Chicago, Cook, Illinois, United States, reference/certificate 28602, Cook County Clerk, Cook County Courthouse, Chicago; FHL microfilm .

• "Wisconsin Marriage Index, 1973-1997," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VJBB-ZKC : 27 December 2014), Ernest Gary Gygax and Gail Carpenter, 15 Aug 1987; from "Wisconsin Marriages, 1973-1997," database, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : 2005); citing certificate number 017600, roll 10, Walworth, Wisconsin, Department of Health and Family Services, Madison.

• "United States Social Security Death Index," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:J52H-DQQ : 12 January 2021), Ernest G Gygax, 04 Mar 2008; citing U.S. Social Security Administration, Death Master File, database (Alexandria, Virginia: National Technical Information Service, ongoing).

• "Find A Grave Index," database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVVP-BLDC : 10 September 2021), Gary Gygax, ; Burial, Lake Geneva, Walworth, Wisconsin, United States of America, Oak Hill Cemetery; citing record ID 25074706, Find a Grave, http://www.findagrave.com.

• "United States, GenealogyBank Obituaries, 1980-2014," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QK4K-SBKD : accessed 30 May 2022), Gary Gygax, Washington, United States, 09 Mar 2008; from "Recent Newspaper Obituaries (1977 - Today)," database, GenealogyBank.com (http://www.genealogybank.com : 2014); citing Seattle Times, The, born-digital text.

• "United States, GenealogyBank Obituaries, 1980-2014," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QKL3-PSQX : accessed 30 May 2022), Gary Gygax, California, United States, 04 Mar 2008; from "Recent Newspaper Obituaries (1977 - Today)," database, GenealogyBank.com (http://www.genealogybank.com : 2014); citing San Jose Mercury News, born-digital text.

• "United States, GenealogyBank Obituaries, 1980-2014," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVTS-H2SZ : accessed 30 May 2022), Gary Gygax, , ; from "Recent Newspaper Obituaries (1977 - Today)," database, GenealogyBank.com (http://www.genealogybank.com : 2014); citing Associated Press Archive, born-digital text.

• "United States, GenealogyBank Obituaries, 1980-2014," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QK4G-C7CM : accessed 30 May 2022), Ernest Gary Gygax, Memphis, Tennessee, United States, 05 Mar 2008; from "Recent Newspaper Obituaries (1977 - Today)," database, GenealogyBank.com (http://www.genealogybank.com : 2014); citing Commercial Appeal, The, born-digital text.

• "United States, GenealogyBank Obituaries, 1980-2014," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVTX-WPZM : accessed 30 May 2022), Gary Gygax, Levittown, Pennsylvania, United States, 05 Mar 2008; from "Recent Newspaper Obituaries (1977 - Today)," database, GenealogyBank.com (http://www.genealogybank.com : 2014); citing Bucks County Courier Times, born-digital text.

• "United States, GenealogyBank Obituaries, 1980-2014," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QK5R-912N : accessed 30 May 2022), Ernest Gary Gygax, Lawrenceville, Georgia, United States, 05 Mar 2008; from "Recent Newspaper Obituaries (1977 - Today)," database, GenealogyBank.com (http://www.genealogybank.com : 2014); citing Gwinnett Daily Post, born-digital text.

• "United States, GenealogyBank Obituaries, 1980-2014," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QK4S-5JRB : accessed 30 May 2022), Gary Gygax, Detroit, Michigan, United States, 24 Dec 2008; from "Recent Newspaper Obituaries (1977 - Today)," database, GenealogyBank.com (http://www.genealogybank.com : 2014); citing Metro Times, born-digital text.

• "United States, GenealogyBank Obituaries, 1980-2014," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QKLH-R2Z1 : accessed 30 May 2022), Gary Gygax, Idaho, United States, 05 Mar 2008; from "Recent Newspaper Obituaries (1977 - Today)," database, GenealogyBank.com (http://www.genealogybank.com : 2014); citing Moscow-Pullman Daily News, The, born-digital text.

• "United States, GenealogyBank Obituaries, 1980-2014," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QK2D-QTLT : accessed 30 May 2022), Gary Gygax, Texas, United States, 08 Mar 2008; from "Recent Newspaper Obituaries (1977 - Today)," database, GenealogyBank.com (http://www.genealogybank.com : 2014); citing Dallas Morning News, The, born-digital text.

• "United States, GenealogyBank Obituaries, 1980-2014," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVTS-H237 : accessed 30 May 2022), Gary Gygax, , ; from "Recent Newspaper Obituaries (1977 - Today)," database, GenealogyBank.com (http://www.genealogybank.com : 2014); citing Associated Press Archive, born-digital text.

• "United States, GenealogyBank Obituaries, 1980-2014," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVT4-CK66 : accessed 30 May 2022), Gary Rpgs Gygax, New York, United States, 5 Mar 2008; from "Recent Newspaper Obituaries (1977 - Today)," database, GenealogyBank.com (http://www.genealogybank.com : 2014); citing New York Sun, The, born-digital text.

• "United States, GenealogyBank Obituaries, 1980-2014," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QKLM-RX1V : accessed 30 May 2022), Ernest Gary Gygax, California, United States, 05 Mar 2008; from "Recent Newspaper Obituaries (1977 - Today)," database, GenealogyBank.com (http://www.genealogybank.com : 2014); citing Los Angeles Times, born-digital text.

• "United States, GenealogyBank Obituaries, 1980-2014," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVTP-JLT8 : accessed 30 May 2022), Mr Gary Gygax, Pennsylvania, United States, 7 Mar 2008; from "Recent Newspaper Obituaries (1977 - Today)," database, GenealogyBank.com (http://www.genealogybank.com : 2014); citing Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, born-digital text.

• "United States, GenealogyBank Obituaries, 1980-2014," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QKRG-Y33G : accessed 30 May 2022), Gary Gygax, Oklahoma, United States, 06 Mar 2008; from "Recent Newspaper Obituaries (1977 - Today)," database, GenealogyBank.com (http://www.genealogybank.com : 2014); citing Tulsa World, born-digital text.

• "United States, GenealogyBank Obituaries, 1980-2014," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QK2F-GV1L : accessed 30 May 2022), Gary Gygax, California, United States, 05 Mar 2008; from "Recent Newspaper Obituaries (1977 - Today)," database, GenealogyBank.com (http://www.genealogybank.com : 2014); citing San Francisco Daily, born-digital text.