A domino is a small rectangular wood or plastic block with one face blank and the other marked by dots resembling those on dice. It is a common toy for children, but can also be used in games of strategy and chance. The word is derived from the Latin dominum, meaning a “little ruler.”
Dominoes are normally twice as long as they are wide. This is to make them easier to re-stack after play. Dominoes come in a variety of shapes and sizes, but most are colored black or white with some combination of dotted and solid areas. They can be made in the shape of letters, numbers, animals, people, or other objects, and they may have markings that identify a suit (e.g., hearts, diamonds, clubs, spades, or the number zero).
The first player plays a domino on the table and then positions the other tiles around it. Each subsequent tile must be placed so that the exposed ends of the domino match, with matching values (i.e., a single domino with both a two and a five has a value of seven). A domino that has no matching ends is considered a blank and cannot be played. The value of a domino is determined by counting the number of spots, called pips, on each half of its face, and a single domino usually has a value of six or fewer pips.
A pair of matching dominos may be stacked together to form a “train.” When the train is finished, the remaining unplayed tiles are pushed toward it so that they touch each other, then a new domino is flipped on top of the other. This is known as a chain reaction and can be a powerful tool in game theory and in creating spectacular domino displays.
Lily Hevesh began collecting and playing with dominoes when she was 9 years old, and now makes a living by setting up intricate domino setups for movies, television shows, and events. She posts videos of her work on YouTube, where she has more than 2 million subscribers.
Domino’s was founded in 1967 by Dominick Monaghan, who opened the first store in Ypsilanti, Michigan. The company’s early growth was fueled by the founder’s commitment to listening to customers and putting their needs first. In the late 1960s, Monaghan emphasized locating pizza shops near colleges and universities to target college students who were looking for fast food.
In the 1980s, Domino’s started offering franchises. This helped the company grow rapidly, and the Domino’s brand became well-known worldwide. The company now operates over 14,000 stores worldwide.
As a result of the success of Domino’s, other businesses have begun to offer their own versions of domino products. These include Domino’s Pizza Restaurants and a line of domino games manufactured by Pressman Toys.
