Observed annually on December 21st, Crossword Puzzle Day is a holiday that celebrates a word game enjoyed by millions of people all over the globe. The first crossword puzzle was created in 1913 by a journalist named Arthur Wynne. It appeared on December 21, 1913, in the Sunday newspaper, the New York World.

Of course, this early crossword puzzle and some of the others he created didn’t look like modern puzzles. They were diamond-shaped and didn’t contain internal black squares. These puzzles would eventually evolve over time, however, and would become one of the most popular word games on the planet.

Fun Crossword Puzzle Facts

Let’s go over some fun crossword puzzle facts we came across while doing research for this holiday. We think the following facts about crossword puzzles will show everyone just how engaging these puzzles are.

• Crossword puzzles help stave off the severity of symptoms associated with dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.
• The New York World was the only newspaper to print crossword puzzles for about a decade.
• A cruciverbalist is someone who is skilled at solving crossword puzzles.
• Crossword puzzles were originally known as word-cross puzzles.
• The first New York Times crossword puzzle was published in 1942.
• The first crossword puzzle book was published in 1924.
• During WWII in Paris, crossword puzzles were banned because they could be used for secret messages.

Observing Crossword Puzzle Day

One of the simplest ways to celebrate this holiday is by sitting down with a crossword puzzle and taking the time to solve it. This can be a puzzle taken directly from a newspaper or from one of those crossword puzzle books that can be found in grocery store checkout aisles.

Of course, that’s the most basic way to celebrate this holiday. There are also a variety of other ways to observe this day. A person can challenge someone else to a crossword puzzle race, try completing a puzzle in a different language than their native tongue, or by creating their own crossword puzzles.