Chris Haney

(Associated Press) MONTREAL Chris Haney, a co-creator of the popular Trivial Pursuit board game, has died at the age of 59. Scott Abbott, who created Trivial Pursuit with Haney, said Haney died Monday in a Toronto hospital after a long illness. Haney worked for The Canadian Press and the Montreal Gazette newspaper as a photo editor before going into the board game business. He teamed up with Canadian Press sports reporter Scott Abbott in 1979 to invent Trivial Pursuit. Abbott said he and Haney always had a "blind faith" that the game would be successful if it got to market. Released in 1982, it took off after a slow start and the duo sold the rights to toy giant Hasbro in 2008 for US$80 million. Haney is survived by his wife and three grown children.