December 21 Birthday
December 21 is typically the winter solstice, the shortest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere. On this date in 1913, the first crossword puzzle was published in the New York World newspaper. It was created by Arthur Wynne, a Liverpool-born journalist, and called a "Word-Cross." The puzzle was diamond-shaped with no black squares. The New York Times did not publish its first crossword until 1942, and only because editor Margaret Farrar convinced them that readers needed puzzles during wartime. The Times crossword is now considered the gold standard. People born on December 21 fall under the zodiac sign of Sagittarius. The birthstone is Tanzanite and the birth flower is Holly. Historical events on December 21 include 1620: Pilgrims arrive at Plymouth, 1913: First crossword puzzle published, 1968: Apollo 8 launches. Famous people born on December 21 include Jane Fonda (1937), Frank Zappa (1940), Samuel L. Jackson (1948).