People today tend to marvel at the accomplishments of ancient civilizations, such as demonstrated by the pyramids of Egypt. Those ancient people had such creativity and intelligence, and they did not have TV or radio to entertain themselves. Instead, they relied upon their minds for entertainment, creativity, and solutions to problems.

Today, when people find the media has become somewhat dull, repeating stories in a cycle -- "the sames" rather than "the news -- they often turn to brain teasers and puzzles as a remedy. Doing so encourages our brain to get a bit of a mental work out, and dusts off unused parts of the mind that need to be worked to keep them healthy. Puzzles and riddles serve lots of purposes, and all over the world, people enjoy challenges that help keep the mind active and thinking up new ideas and strategies.

Some of the games we play today are based on those that were played in ancient times, with innovations and changes made over the centuries. Sudoku is a game that may well have been played in ancient times, and it has a beautiful simplicity, yet can be wonderfully challenging. And the history of Sudoku is fascinating, too.

The word "Sudoku" is derived from the word for "number place." Based on the Japanese language, Sudoku indicates that it is a logic-based placement. Therefore, it is a kind of puzzle game. The first modern Sudoku puzzle was published in a US magazine in 1979. It was picked up by players in Japan in 1984 and was instantly popular. The original name of the game was abbreviated to Sudoku, which, translated into English, actually means "the digits must remain single." There are also various different pronunciations of "Sudoku" throughout the world, but the basic elements of the game remain the same. And the mental power benefits also accrue wherever the game is played.

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.

The history of Sudoku took another twist in Japan. After Howard Garns introduced the first Sudoku puzzle in a U. S. magazine, a person named Nikoli in Japan picked it up. While Mr. Garns had his own English name for the puzzle, Nikoli gave it the Japanese name Sudoku.

Originally, players always found newspapers or puzzle magazines for the source of new games, but in 1989 a computer version of Sudoku was introduced. Some people have even created a three dimensional version based on 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.

Though the puzzle alone is fascinating, the history of Sudoku adds something to the playing of the game as well. Ancient beginnings, modern computer technology, and a cross-cultural acceptance have all led to its current status. Say a thanks to Howard Garns, for bringing hours of puzzle pleasures to our lives.