Dominoes are one of the oldest games, originating in China around the 1300s, with the earliest evidence found in the Song Dynasty era; the name "domino" comes from the black and white pattern on a priest's hood in French, which resembles the domino tiles. 

The dots on a domino, called "pips," originally represented the results of rolling two dice, which is why a standard domino set includes combinations up to double six. 

While Chinese domino sets differ, European versions typically have 28 tiles, including a "blank" (0-0) domino that isn't present in the Chinese version. 

The Netherlands hosts an annual "Domino Day" event where teams attempt to topple massive domino chains, setting world records for the longest domino chain and other impressive feats. 

Domino tiles are often called "bones" due to their appearance and the way they are sometimes made from bone-like materials like ivory. 

The earliest known domino manual was written by Qu You, a Chinese author from the 14th century. 

While originating in China, dominoes became popular in Europe through Italian missionaries who brought the game back from China in the 18th century. 

Dominoes are also used in science demonstrations to illustrate chain reactions and are sometimes incorporated into Rube Goldberg machines. 

Due to their visual representation of numbers, dominoes are a valuable learning tool for young children to practice counting and basic math skills.