Short answers, pulled from the story.
Ed Greenwood created the Forgotten Realms campaign setting in 1967 when he was eight years old. He conceived the world as a parallel universe to Earth that eventually became the most popular campaign world in the history of role-playing games.
The first official product, The Forgotten Realms Campaign Set, was released in 1987. This boxed set included two source books and four large color maps designed by Greenwood in collaboration with Jeff Grubb.
During the Time of Troubles in 1358 DR, the gods were cast down from their divine realms by the Overlord Ao. This event advanced the calendar by one year and demonstrated that the gods were not invincible while forcing mortals to take on roles previously held by deities.
Drizzt Do'Urden is a drow or dark elf ranger created by R. A. Salvatore and introduced in The Crystal Shard in 1988. He was the main character of 34 novels and is known for his commitment to friendship and peace which contradicted the stereotype of his people.
Pool of Radiance won the Origins Award for Best Fantasy or Science Fiction Computer Game of 1988. This game was released in 1988 by Strategic Simulations, Inc. and set the stage for a series of successful titles including Eye of the Beholder and Baldur's Gate.
Baldur's Gate 3 was released in 2023 by Larian Studios and became the first game to win Game of the Year at all five major ceremonies. These awards include the Golden Joystick Awards, the Game Developers Choice Awards, the DICE Awards, the BAFTAs, and The Game Awards.