By , Grace Reader
Published July 26, 2016
Seemingly out of nowhere, people across the United States and other countries around the world could be found walking around with their faces in their smartphone screens. That's the norm nowadays, except these smartphone users weren't on social media. They were "capturing" imaginary creatures overlaid on the real world with the augmented reality game Pokémon Go.
Here's a timeline of the phenomenon (it will be updated regularly):
Related:
Bloomberg | Getty Images
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After two days, Nintendo’s market value soars to $7.5 billion. In the United States, the game is already installed on more than 5 percent of Android devices, according to web analytics firm SimilarWeb.
Read:
Pokemon Game Adds $7.5 Billion to Nintendo Market Value in Two Days
Elizabeth W. Kearley | Getty Images
Craziness ensues. A man catches Pokémon while his wife gives birth, a user of the app discovers a dead body, robbers exploit players through the game, players get hurt (and sore) and dogs get walked more because of the game.
Read:
8 Weird Reasons Pokémon Go Isn't the Game Craze We're Used To
Bloomberg | Getty Images
Business owners figure out that they can “lure” Pokémon to their locations, in turn luring customers. Companies use tactics such as social media, whiteboards, luring and even charging stations to bring in new Pokécustomers.
Read: How Entrepreneurs Are Cashing in on Pokémon Go and
3 Ways to Level Up Your Marketing With Pokemon Go
Olivia Harris | Getty Images
The augmented reality game has “Pokéstops” that allow you to lure more Pokémon to your area. Some of those stops happen to be in a police station, museums and even churches. Just seven days after Pokémon Go is released to the public, cemeteries, police stations and museums have to figure out how to handle the influx of people -- or in some cases, (like that of the Holocaust Museum in Washington, D.C.,) keep them out.
Read:
How Cemeteries, Police and the Holocaust Museum are Coping With Pokemon Go Fever
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A possible leak shows that McDonald’s and Nintendo could have a deal in the works that would give McDonald’s locations sponsored status.
Read:
Pokémon Gamers Could Soon be Flocking to McDonald's
Olivia Harris | Getty Images
More craziness ensues. Players are catching Pokémon while driving and at funerals, and in one instance, the app helps a woman discover her boyfriend had been cheating on her.
Read:
The 5 Most Ridiculous Pokémon Go Stories of the Week
Bloomberg | Getty Images
T-Mobile announces that it would be giving users of the app unlimited data until August of next year along with a free Wendy’s frosty, a free Lyft ride up to $15 and a 50 percent discount on some accessories.
Read:
T-Mobile Exempts 'Pokemon Go' From Data Caps
Drew Angerer | Getty Images
OurMine, the group best known for hacking Mark Zuckerberg, Sundar Pichai and Jack Dorsey’s social media accounts, claimed that they took the game offline. The three-person team also offered their services to Niantic to help them better protect their servers.
Read: Hackers Claim Responsibility for Attack on Pokémon Go Servers
Pokémon Go takes over India, where you can be hired to be a professional Pokémon catcher. Babajob offers the position as an official job title.
Read:
Pokémon Craze Takes Over India: Get Hired To Be a Professional Pokémon Catcher
YOSHIKAZU TSUNO | Getty Images
Is the fad wearing off? Nintendo shares more than doubled after Pokémon Go was released but on this day shares slip.
Read:
Nintendo Shares are Getting Destroyed as the Pokémon Go Effect Wears Off
AFP | Getty Images
A driver playing Pokémon Go hits a police car in Baltimore. The police captured the accident on camera and posted it to social media.
Read:
PokéDriver Hits Cop Car (Video)
Tomohiro Ohsumi | Getty Images
Pokémon Go is released in Japan with its first official sponsor, McDonald’s. The sponsorship would make McDonald’s locations Pokémon gyms. Within four hours of launch, Pokémon Go was the most downloaded app in Japan.
Read:
Pokemon Go launches in Japan with McDonald's as 1st sponsor
Nintendo shares plummet after the company releases a statement saying it owns only 32 percent of the Pokémon company and that Pokémon Go is actually a collaboration between The Pokémon Company and Niantic Labs.
Read:
Nintendo shares plummet after investors realize it doesn't actually make Pokémon Go
Robert Cianflone | Getty Images
Pokémon Go players have flooded parks, monuments and churches to catch Pokémon -- but the Cologne Cathedral doesn't want to play. The Catholic cathedral has hired a lawyer to take action against Niantic after the game manufacturer allegedly ignored requests for the church to be excluded from the game.
https://www.foxnews.com/us/everything-you-need-to-know-about-pokmon-go