Nintendo officially marks its 137th anniversary, a milestone that places its founding in 1889. The company, now a titan in video game and hardware production, began its journey not with consoles, but as a manufacturer of hanafuda playing cards.
To contextualize Nintendo's lengthy history, it predates numerous inventions and historical events. Commercially produced sliced bread, for instance, debuted 38 years after Nintendo's inception, in 1928. Nintendo also predates the public opening of the Eiffel Tower in June 1893, the Wright Brothers' first flight in 1903, and the invention of penicillin in 1928.
Further comparisons highlight the company's longevity: Nintendo was established in the same year Vincent Van Gogh created his iconic painting "Starry Night." The company also outlasted the Ottoman Empire. Among more modern comparisons, Nintendo predates the invention of chocolate chip cookies (1938), bubble wrap (1957), and the film "Pacific Rim" (2013).
Today, Nintendo is valued in the billions of dollars, a success built on popular consoles like the Wii and the Switch. The company has also expanded its brand beyond gaming, venturing into theme parks and film adaptations. Its recent film productions, including "The Super Mario Bros. Movie," have achieved over $1 billion in box office revenue, with a live-action "The Legend of Zelda" movie also in development.