Did you know?

Crossword puzzles have been enjoyed for years and years.

Arthur Wynne, a journalist from Liverpool, England, is usually credited as the inventor of crossword puzzles. The first such puzzle appeared in the Sunday newspaper the New York World on December 12, 1913. Wynne’s crosswords differed from modern ones in that the crossword was diamond-shaped and contained no internal black squares.

Over time, additional publications recognized the popularity of crossword puzzles and started including them in their papers. Typically, the standard for crossword puzzles is a 15-by-15 square. The puzzle may have a theme that words share in common.

Another tradition in puzzle design is that the grid should have 180-degree rotational symmetry, so that the pattern appears the same if the paper is turned upside down.

Grids appearing in North American newspapers and magazines consist mainly of solid regions of uninterrupted white squares, separated sparsely by shaded squares. Elsewhere around the world the grids feature a greater percentage of shaded squares.

Crossword puzzles are not only a popular pastime. Researchers continue to study how doing puzzles like crosswords strengthens cognitive health.

Starting out with easier puzzles and building up in difficulty can make them easier to solve. Also, over time, avid crossword enthusiasts often learn repeated patterns and words that appear frequently in these puzzles.