The origin of billiards is not definitely known. It may have begun in France, Italy, Spain, or China. It also resembles an old English game called pall-mall, played on the ground with a four-inch wooden ball and a mallet. Billiards was played in Europe in the late 16th century. The game came to North America with the Spaniards in 1565. Through the years such figures as King Louis XIV of France, Mary Queen of Scots, George Washington, and Theodore Roosevelt have taken cue in hand and lined up shots.

The modern cue appeared in France about 1735. The leather tip came into use in 1823 and was shortly followed by the use of chalk. Another major advance came in 1856 with the use of vulcanized, or hardened, rubber for the table rails, replacing the India-rubber and cloth cushioning used earlier.

Among the greatest United States tournament players of the 20th century were Willie Hoppe and Willie Mosconi. For most of the years from 1906 to 1952, Hoppe held one or another of the major carom billiards world championships. Mosconi dominated pocket billiards play during a 15-year stretch, beginning in 1941. In that year he won his first all-around world championship by an astounding margin of 32 games. Succeeding Mosconi were such great players as Luther ("Wimpy") Lassiter, Steve Mizerak, and Allen Gilbert. Special mention should be made of Rudolf Wanderone, better known as "Minnesota Fats," noted for his ability to win money matches.

The first outstanding player in English billiards was Edward (Jonathan) Kentfield, the champion for 24 years beginning in 1825. From 1849 to the end of the century the game was dominated by John Roberts, Sr., and John Roberts, Jr. The top players since that time include Walter Lindrum of Australia and Joe Davis, who also excelled at snooker.

Annual championships are staged in most major countries. In the United States, billiards is governed by groups such as the American Billiard Association and the Billiard Congress of America, which conducts United States national tournaments in team billiards and individual eight-ball pocket billiards. These are regarded as the elite of such competition. The Billiards Association and Control Council is the governing body of English pool and snooker.