Summary
The first-ever crossword puzzle was published in the United States in the New York World newspaper on December 21, 1913. Created by journalist Arthur Wynne, it featured a diamond-shaped grid with simple clues and no black squares. Crossword puzzles became very popular in the U.S., especially after publishers Simon and Schuster started compiling them into books.
Key Facts
- The first crossword puzzle appeared in the New York World newspaper on December 21, 1913.
- Arthur Wynne, from Liverpool, England, created this first puzzle.
- The puzzle used a diamond-shaped grid without black squares.
- Clues were simple and noncryptic, asking solvers to fill in words based on definitions.
- Crosswords became popular in the U.S. and spread to England by 1923.
- Simon and Schuster played a key role in popularizing crosswords by publishing them in book form.
- By the 1920s, most newspapers in the U.S. featured crosswords.
- Crosswords now appear in various forms, with different patterns and structures.
