Prompt Cast
The Evolution of the New York Times Crossword Puzzle
TLDR The New York Times Crossword Puzzle, edited by Will Shortz, has evolved over the years to become internationally famous and a significant part of American culture. With a history that dates back to World War II, the crossword has seen changes in editors and difficulty levels, attracting a younger audience and offering more modern and accessible puzzles.
Timestamped Summary
00:00
The New York Times Crossword Puzzle, edited by Will Shortz, has become internationally famous and is a significant part of American culture.
02:18
The New York Times was the last major daily newspaper in the US to start a crossword puzzle, waiting until the beginning of World War II to publish one.
04:33
Margaret Ferrara was the first crossword editor for The New York Times and she made sure the puzzles were an escape from the news, which helped establish the NYT crossword as the best in the world; she was succeeded by Will Wang who brought humor to the puzzles during his seven-year tenure.
06:54
Eugene T. Maleska succeeded Will Wang as the crossword editor for The New York Times and is known for his cliffhangers.
09:28
Eugene T. Maleska edited the crossword for The New York Times from 1977 to 1993, and was succeeded by Will Shortz who modernized the crossword and brought a more youthful tone to it.
12:00
The average age of contributors to The New York Times crossword has decreased from the early 50s to the 30s, resulting in more modern and accessible puzzles.
14:13
The New York Times crossword gets progressively harder throughout the week, with Saturday being the most difficult and Monday being the easiest.
Categories:
Society & Culture
