The History of Nim
A game of taking stones that Charles L. Bouton named and solved in 1901.
Taking stones
Games in which players take objects from heaps have been played since ancient times; where Nim comes from is uncertain. It is often linked to the Chinese game jiǎn shízǐ ("picking stones"), and the earliest European references date from the beginning of the 16th century.
Bouton, 1901
In 1901 Charles L. Bouton of Harvard University published the complete theory of the game and gave it the name Nim. He never explained the name; it is often traced to the German word "nimm" ("take!").
Nim machines
Nim was one of the first games played by machines: the Nimatron at the New York World's Fair in 1940, and a computer by Ferranti shown at the Festival of Britain in 1951.