The History of Crosswords: From Newspapers to Digital Screens

Origins: Word-Cross in New York, 1913

The modern crossword puzzle traces back to Arthur Wynne, an editor at the New York World. On December 21, 1913, in the Christmas edition of the Sunday supplement, Wynne published a diamond-shaped game called Word-Cross. This is widely considered the first true crossword puzzle. See more at the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament
and at Biography.com.

The Crossword Craze of the 1920s

After World War I, crossword puzzles exploded in popularity. In 1924, two young publishers, Richard L. Simon and M. Lincoln Schuster, released The Cross Word Puzzle Book. Each copy came bundled with a pencil, and the book became a runaway bestseller. This marked the birth of Simon & Schuster as a publishing house.
More details are documented by Guinness World Records and the official Simon & Schuster history.

Crosswords Arrive in Britain

The puzzle soon crossed the Atlantic. The Sunday Express published Britain’s first crossword on November 2, 1924, followed by the Sunday Times on January 11, 1925.
For more, see The Oldie and The Times.

Standardization and the New York Times

In the United States, Margaret Farrar shaped what we now think of as the “standard” crossword style. As the first crossword editor of The New York Times in 1942, she set rules like symmetrical grids, a limit on black squares, a minimum word length of three letters, and interlocking entries. These conventions remain widely followed today. Read more at the NYT Crossword Wikipedia entry.

Into the Digital Era

As media went online, crossword puzzles found new life on the web and in mobile apps.
Newspapers introduced interactive versions, while indie developers launched new formats
and communities. WIRED noted how subscriptions and apps brought crosswords to a wider audience.

Quick Timeline

• 1913: Arthur Wynne publishes the first Word-Cross in the New York World. Sources:
  ACPT,
  Biography.com.
• 1924: The Cross Word Puzzle Book launches, bundled with a pencil, and becomes a bestseller. Sources:
  Guinness,
  Simon & Schuster.
• 1924–1925: Britain embraces crosswords in the Sunday Express and Sunday Times. Sources:
  The Oldie,
  The Times.
• 1942: The New York Times launches its crossword section, edited by Margaret Farrar. Source:
  Wikipedia.
• 2000s: The shift to digital platforms and apps grows crossword audiences worldwide. Source:
  WIRED.

Why Crosswords Endure

They are easy to start, yet endlessly challenging. Crosswords combine general knowledge,
wordplay, and the thrill of an “aha” moment when one answer unlocks the rest of the grid.
Technology has changed, but the satisfaction of filling in that last square remains the same.

Today: Play Bilingual Crosswords with Crosswordify

Looking for a modern way to play crosswords in both English and Indonesian, with a clean
interface and mobile-friendly design? Try Crosswordify.
The site offers multiple modes: Mini Crossword for a quick challenge,
Crossword+ for a richer experience, and Themed Crossword covering topics from general knowledge to pop culture.
You can play online, print puzzles for offline fun, and even choose your language. It is great
for building vocabulary, practicing logic, or simply enjoying a coffee break puzzle.