England hosted the first World Professional Darts Championship in 1978.
The inaugural tournament was staged at the Heart of the Midlands nightclub in Nottingham, England, and was organised by the British Darts Organisation. John Lowe won the title by defeating Leighton Rees 11–7 in the final. The event later became known as the BDO World Darts Championship.
The competition marked the beginning of darts’ formally recognised world championship era. Earlier tournaments and prominent events existed, but the 1978 championship established an annual world title under the BDO banner. England’s role is sometimes blurred because the final champion, Rees, represented Wales.
The tournament moved between venues in later years and eventually became strongly associated with Lakeside Country Club. The PDC later created its own world championship after the professional split, but that separate event did not begin until 1994.