National Scrabble Day

Two people sitting at a table, one holding a scrabble tile, surrounded by books and a vintage typewriter.. — National scrabble day illustration

Put down your phones, it's time to dig out those dusty Scrabble boards! Turns out, there's a whole day dedicated to this classic word game that has been challenging our vocabularies for generations. Celebrated with much fanfare online and offline, National Scrabble Day has captured internet users' hearts across the globe every April 13th. So, get your thinking caps on and prepare for some cunning conundrums!

When is Scrabble Day?

It's national scrabble day on the 13th April.

The origins of National Scrabble Day

The colors, the tiles, the triple word scores, Scrabble has been a family favorite since Alfred Mosher Butts invented it during the Great Depression. But did you know we celebrate National Scrabble Day on the inventor's birthday? That's right, every April 13th, we pay tribute to this wonderful game and its creator.

The Online Phenomenon

Online mentions of National Scrabble Day have skyrocketed over the years. The peak was reached on April 13, 2017, with a whopping 4935 mentions. The digital universe used their keyboards as their game boards, sharing, tweeting, and posting about their best Scrabble strategies and highest scores. National Scrabble Day was not just about playing the game, but also about building a community where people could share their love for words.

Beyond the Game

But National Scrabble Day isn't just for the Scrabble Savants, even if you've never been able to beat your Grandma at the game, this is still a day for you. It's a celebration of words, of language, and of that wonderful feeling when you manage to use up all of your letters in one turn (let's be honest, we've all dreamed of managing it).

History behind the term 'Scrabble'

1931

Birth of Alfred Mosher Butts

Alfred Mosher Butts, an American architect, was born in 1899. He would later go on to create the popular word game known as Scrabble.

1938

Creation of Lexiko

Inspired by crossword puzzles and anagrams, Butts began designing a game initially called Lexiko. It involved using letter tiles with assigned point values to form words on a game board. Butts meticulously calculated the frequency of letters in the English language to determine tile distribution and scoring.

1948

Renaming to Criss-Cross Words

Butts continued to refine his game, changing the name to Criss-Cross Words. He handmade sets of the game and tried selling them, but struggled to find a manufacturer or publisher willing to take a chance on his creation.

1952

Parker Brothers Acquires the Game

After years of rejection, James Brunot, a game-loving entrepreneur and friend of Butts, saw potential in Criss-Cross Words. He made a few minor modifications to rules, such as the design of the game board and the point values of certain letters, and renamed it Scrabble. Parker Brothers (now a subsidiary of Hasbro) acquired the rights to the game and began mass production.

1953

Trademarking the Name

James Brunot filed for a trademark for Scrabble, securing the rights to the name. The game's popularity started to grow steadily, and word-of-mouth recommendations led to its increased sales.

1968

National Scrabble Association Formed

With the growing enthusiasm for the game, the National Scrabble Association (later renamed to North American Scrabble Players Association) was established. It aimed to organize tournaments, create official rules, and foster the competitive Scrabble community.

1984

First World Scrabble Championship

The first World Scrabble Championship took place in London, England. Players from various countries competed for the ultimate title. This event marked the beginning of international Scrabble competitions, which continue to this day.

1999

Scrabble Enters the National Toy Hall of Fame

In recognition of its enduring popularity and cultural impact, Scrabble was inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame. It joined the ranks of iconic toys and games that have shaped generations of playtime.