Image by Thanasis Papazacharias from Pixabay
The crossword puzzle, a beloved pastime for millions, has a surprisingly short and interesting history. It was born in the early 20th century, during a time of great change and upheaval.
The inventor was a journalist named Arthur Wynne, a British-born man who had emigrated to the United States. Wynne worked for the New York World newspaper, where he was tasked with creating a new and engaging game for the paper’s “Fun” section.
On December 21, 1913, Wynne unveiled his creation, a diamond-shaped grid with a hollow center, and called it a “Word-Cross Puzzle.” It featured clues for words that intersected, forming a grid of interconnected letters. Although not the first word puzzle ever created, Wynne’s puzzle introduced several crucial innovations.
The most significant was the use of black squares, which separated the words and created a more visually appealing and engaging layout. Wynne’s grid also featured numbered clues, making it easier for solvers to navigate the puzzle.
Initially, the puzzle’s title was misspelled as “Cross-Word” due to a typesetting error, and it was this accidental typo that became the permanent name of the puzzle.
Wynne’s initial puzzle was a relatively simple affair, but it quickly caught the public’s imagination. It was reprinted in other newspapers, and within a decade, the crossword puzzle had become a global phenomenon.
Today, crossword puzzles are a staple of newspapers, magazines, and even mobile apps, and they continue to be a source of entertainment and mental stimulation for people of all ages.
References
- Wikipedia: Arthur Wynne
- Crossword Tournament: Brief History of Crossword Puzzles
- Time: Crossword Puzzles Were Invented in Troubled Times
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