GAME DESIGNER
Gary Gygax
1938 - 2008

Gary Gygax
Ernest Gary Gygax ( GHY-gaks; July 27, 1938 – March 4, 2008) 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. In the 1960s, Gygax created an organization of wargaming clubs and founded the Gen Con tabletop game convention. In 1971, he co-developed Chainmail, a miniatures wargame based on medieval warfare with Jeff Perren. He co-founded the company TSR (originally Tactical Studies Rules) with childhood friend Don Kaye in 1973. Read more on Wikipedia
His biography is available in different languages on Wikipedia. Gary Gygax is the most popular game designer (up from 16th in 2019), the 1,009th most popular biography from United States (up from 4,740th in 2019) and the most popular American Game Designer.
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Among GAME DESIGNERS
Among game designers, Gary Gygax ranks 1 out of 77. After him are Shigeru Miyamoto, Lizzie Magie, Markus Persson, Hideo Kojima, Ralph H. Baer, Jeff Kinney, Alexey Pajitnov, Satoru Iwata, Gunpei Yokoi, Gabe Newell, and Toru Iwatani.
Most Popular Game Designers in Wikipedia
Go to all RankingsGary Gygax
1938 - 2008
HPI: 70.11
Rank: 1
Shigeru Miyamoto
1952 - Present
HPI: 69.47
Rank: 2
Lizzie Magie
1866 - 1948
HPI: 68.97
Rank: 3
Markus Persson
1979 - Present
HPI: 67.57
Rank: 4
Hideo Kojima
1963 - Present
HPI: 66.39
Rank: 5
Ralph H. Baer
1922 - 2014
HPI: 64.67
Rank: 6
Jeff Kinney
1971 - Present
HPI: 64.46
Rank: 7
Alexey Pajitnov
1956 - Present
HPI: 64.38
Rank: 8
Satoru Iwata
1959 - 2015
HPI: 64.03
Rank: 9
Gunpei Yokoi
1941 - 1997
HPI: 63.64
Rank: 10
Gabe Newell
1962 - Present
HPI: 63.16
Rank: 11
Toru Iwatani
1955 - Present
HPI: 62.91
Rank: 12
Contemporaries
Among people born in 1938, Gary Gygax ranks 48. Before him are Oliver Reed, Marina Vlady, Diana Rigg, Jean Seberg, Donald Knuth, and Alpha Condé. After him are César Luis Menotti, José Altafini, Otto Rehhagel, Viktor Chernomyrdin, Princess Désirée, Baroness Silfverschiöld, and Kenny Rogers. Among people deceased in 2008, Gary Gygax ranks 33. Before him are Leonid Hurwicz, William F. Buckley Jr., Roy Scheider, Jules Dassin, Yma Sumac, and Mel Ferrer. After him are Jean-Marie Balestre, Jacques Piccard, Heath Ledger, Lansana Conté, John Archibald Wheeler, and George Habash.
Others Born in 1938
Go to all RankingsOliver Reed
ACTOR
1938 - 1999
HPI: 70.52
Rank: 42
Marina Vlady
ACTOR
1938 - Present
HPI: 70.48
Rank: 43
Diana Rigg
ACTOR
1938 - 2020
HPI: 70.36
Rank: 44
Jean Seberg
ACTOR
1938 - 1979
HPI: 70.34
Rank: 45
Donald Knuth
COMPUTER SCIENTIST
1938 - Present
HPI: 70.32
Rank: 46
Alpha Condé
POLITICIAN
1938 - Present
HPI: 70.27
Rank: 47
Gary Gygax
GAME DESIGNER
1938 - 2008
HPI: 70.11
Rank: 48
César Luis Menotti
SOCCER PLAYER
1938 - 2024
HPI: 70.04
Rank: 49
José Altafini
SOCCER PLAYER
1938 - Present
HPI: 70.02
Rank: 50
Otto Rehhagel
COACH
1938 - Present
HPI: 70.01
Rank: 51
Viktor Chernomyrdin
DIPLOMAT
1938 - 2010
HPI: 69.56
Rank: 52
Princess Désirée, Baroness Silfverschiöld
POLITICIAN
1938 - Present
HPI: 69.39
Rank: 53
Kenny Rogers
SINGER
1938 - 2020
HPI: 69.34
Rank: 54
Others Deceased in 2008
Go to all RankingsLeonid Hurwicz
ECONOMIST
1917 - 2008
HPI: 71.38
Rank: 27
William F. Buckley Jr.
WRITER
1925 - 2008
HPI: 70.54
Rank: 28
Roy Scheider
ACTOR
1932 - 2008
HPI: 70.26
Rank: 29
Jules Dassin
FILM DIRECTOR
1911 - 2008
HPI: 70.17
Rank: 30
Yma Sumac
SINGER
1923 - 2008
HPI: 70.14
Rank: 31
Mel Ferrer
ACTOR
1917 - 2008
HPI: 70.14
Rank: 32
Gary Gygax
GAME DESIGNER
1938 - 2008
HPI: 70.11
Rank: 33
Jean-Marie Balestre
JOURNALIST
1921 - 2008
HPI: 70.00
Rank: 34
Jacques Piccard
INVENTOR
1922 - 2008
HPI: 69.96
Rank: 35
Heath Ledger
ACTOR
1979 - 2008
HPI: 69.95
Rank: 36
Lansana Conté
POLITICIAN
1934 - 2008
HPI: 69.70
Rank: 37
John Archibald Wheeler
PHYSICIST
1911 - 2008
HPI: 69.63
Rank: 38
George Habash
EXTREMIST
1926 - 2008
HPI: 69.27
Rank: 39
In United States
Among people born in United States, Gary Gygax ranks 1,009 out of 20,380. Before him are Hermann Joseph Muller (1890), Frank Miller (1957), Joseph McCarthy (1908), Mel Ferrer (1917), Pat Morita (1932), and Jean Harlow (1911). After him are Theodore Roosevelt Jr. (1887), Joseph Barbera (1911), Jane Russell (1921), Richard Barthelmess (1895), George Eastman (1854), and Babe Ruth (1895).
Others born in United States
Go to all RankingsHermann Joseph Muller
BIOLOGIST
1890 - 1967
HPI: 70.15
Rank: 1,003
Frank Miller
COMIC ARTIST
1957 - Present
HPI: 70.15
Rank: 1,004
Joseph McCarthy
POLITICIAN
1908 - 1957
HPI: 70.14
Rank: 1,005
Mel Ferrer
ACTOR
1917 - 2008
HPI: 70.14
Rank: 1,006
Pat Morita
ACTOR
1932 - 2005
HPI: 70.12
Rank: 1,007
Jean Harlow
ACTOR
1911 - 1937
HPI: 70.12
Rank: 1,008
Gary Gygax
GAME DESIGNER
1938 - 2008
HPI: 70.11
Rank: 1,009
Theodore Roosevelt Jr.
MILITARY PERSONNEL
1887 - 1944
HPI: 70.11
Rank: 1,010
Joseph Barbera
COMIC ARTIST
1911 - 2006
HPI: 70.11
Rank: 1,011
Jane Russell
ACTOR
1921 - 2011
HPI: 70.11
Rank: 1,012
Richard Barthelmess
ACTOR
1895 - 1963
HPI: 70.11
Rank: 1,013
George Eastman
INVENTOR
1854 - 1932
HPI: 70.10
Rank: 1,014
Babe Ruth
BASEBALL PLAYER
1895 - 1948
HPI: 70.10
Rank: 1,015
Among GAME DESIGNERS In United States
Among game designers born in United States, Gary Gygax ranks 1. After him are Lizzie Magie (1866), Jeff Kinney (1971), Gabe Newell (1962), John Carmack (1970), Todd Howard (1971), Steve Jackson (1953), Carol Shaw (1955), Will Wright (1960), Roberta Williams (1953), John Romero (1967), and Dave Arneson (1947).
Gary Gygax
1938 - 2008
HPI: 70.11
Rank: 1
Lizzie Magie
1866 - 1948
HPI: 68.97
Rank: 2
Jeff Kinney
1971 - Present
HPI: 64.46
Rank: 3
Gabe Newell
1962 - Present
HPI: 63.16
Rank: 4
John Carmack
1970 - Present
HPI: 62.89
Rank: 5
Todd Howard
1971 - Present
HPI: 60.30
Rank: 6
Steve Jackson
1953 - Present
HPI: 59.69
Rank: 7
Carol Shaw
1955 - Present
HPI: 55.84
Rank: 8
Will Wright
1960 - Present
HPI: 55.75
Rank: 9
Roberta Williams
1953 - Present
HPI: 54.43
Rank: 10
John Romero
1967 - Present
HPI: 53.69
Rank: 11
Dave Arneson
1947 - 2009
HPI: 52.85
Rank: 12