RANDOM FACT #5 - DURING WORLD WAR II, THE BOARD GAME MONOPOLY WAS DISTRIBUTED TO PRISONERS OF WAR CONTAINING SECRET ITEMS TO HELP THEM ESCAPE.

In 1936, Parker Brothers began licensing the game for sale outside the United States. In 1941, the British Secret Intelligence Service had John Waddington Ltd., the licensed manufacturer of the game in the United Kingdom, create a special edition for World War II prisoners of war held by the Nazis. Hidden inside these games were maps, compasses, real money, and other objects useful for escaping. They were distributed to prisoners by British Secret Service-created fake charity groups.

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