Curling has been around for roughly 500 years , with its earliest known references dating back to the 16th century in Scotland.

Earliest origins

  • The first written record of curling‑like play comes from 1541 in Paisley, Scotland , where a notary documented a challenge involving throwing stones across ice between a monk and a relative of an abbot.
  • Paintings and accounts from the 1500s–1600s in northern Europe, especially Scotland, show people sliding stones on frozen ponds, which is widely regarded as the birth of the sport.

From folk game to organized sport

  • By the 1700s , curling was a popular winter pastime in Scotland and began spreading to other cold‑climate regions.
  • In 1838 , the Grand Caledonian Curling Club (later the Royal Caledonian Curling Club) was founded in Edinburgh and established the first formal rules, marking the start of curling as a regulated sport.

Modern era and Olympics

  • Curling appeared as a demonstration sport at the 1924 Winter Olympics and later became an official medal sport starting in 1998.
  • Today, curling is played competitively in dozens of countries, with major leagues and global events keeping the 500‑plus‑year‑old “roaring game” very much alive.

Quick timeline table

Period| What happened
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1541| First written curling‑style challenge recorded in Paisley, Scotland. 7
1500s–1600s| Early stone‑sliding games on frozen ponds in Scotland and northern Europe. 14
1700s| Curling spreads across Scotland and into North America. 45
1838| Grand Caledonian Curling Club founded; first formal rules drafted. 139
1924| Curling appears as a Winter Olympic demonstration sport. 4
1998| Curling becomes a full Olympic medal sport. 49

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.