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History of Sudoku

By: Terence Uniacke

Modern generations marvel at the intelligence and creativity displayed by ancient civilizations. The great pyramids of ancient Egypt are the perfect example of incredible design and unmitigated human accomplishment. In ancient times, people were dependant on their minds to create, solve, and entertain. Today, most people turn their minds off and turn on the TV or radio when it's time to be entertained.

Every once in a while, when media gets dull and our minds need sharpening, people will turn to riddles and brain twisters. It's how we explore our thought processes, and how we develop our creativity. Without puzzles and riddles, our brains become stagnant. Humans innately love and need activities that twist the mind and form new ideas.

Many ancient games have been modernized, or simply repackaged, for a modern audience. Others have had a few tweaks to make them more relevant to today's world. Sudoku may have been played centuries ago, and its simple design can be inviting to newcomers, but there are layers in abundance here.

The game also has a fascinating history. First published in 1979 in an American puzzle game book, it was likely invented by veteran puzzle creator Howard Garns. Japanese publishers brought it there a few years later, and gave it a new name, meaning "the digits must remain single", which was later shortened to Sudoku. Japanese players instantly loved the game, and after 1984, it began its long rise to world domination. Millions of adherents around the world have improved their mental agility by playing Sudoku rather than staring at mindless TV shows.

Howard Garns was a retired architect who loved creating puzzles as a freelance effort, and it appears he contributed the first-known version of Sudoku to a puzzle magazine in 1979. It is similar to the Latin Square, which has been much analyzed by Euler, and is an ancient game. Garns added a third dimension, improving on the design, and he offered his version with some of the fields already filled in. It is immediately popular with puzzle players worldwide once they try it for the first time.

Only after arriving in Japan did the name "Sudoku" get applied to the game, which Garns had named "Number Place." Later, the name was copyrighted by a Japanese company, though the puzzle itself was launched in Britain and then around the world.

Originally, Sudoku was played manually in Japanese and American publications. In 1989, Loadstar Publishing introduced a computerized version, followed by another version by Apple. Sudoku has also been fashioned into a version of another popular 1980's puzzle, the Rubik's Cube.

In the year 1997, the popularity of Sudoku in the media had reached overwhelming heights. A Hong Kong judge named Wayne Gould became so engulfed by the game, he developed his own computerized version of a Sudoku creator.

Nationwide, newspapers would print the puzzles and sell out quickly. World media acknowledged Sudoku as the "fastest growing puzzle in the world". By 2005, Sudoku was at the peak of its popularity.

The history of Sudoku is as interesting as the puzzle itself, with ancient roots, modern influences, and an ocean crossing to reach its full popularity. Fans of Sudoku should toast Mr. Howard Garns for bringing endless hours of puzzling pleasure to their lives.

Article Source: http://www.simplepetcare.com/pet-articles

Terence Uniacke is happiest writing for several Internet magazines, on hobby center and ultimate hobby themes.
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