On January 29th, it is National Puzzle Day.

The jigsaw puzzle was invented by a British cartographer as an educational tool by a London mapmaker named John Spilsbury in the 1760s.

Initially, puzzles initially had an education purpose to help teach geography by allowing users to assemble maps piece by piece.

With approximately 50% of Americans buying between three and six puzzles annually and over 1.8 billion jigsaw puzzles sold per year.

A 1,000-piece puzzle with take you four times as long as a 500-piece puzzle, as the difficulty is quadrupled.

The Puzzle Mansion, is a museum located in the Philippines which has over completed puzzles 1,500 on display. The collection includes as wood, cardboard and plastic puzzles that including flat, spherical, 3D and “4D” puzzles.

Most modern puzzles are made of cardboard and cut with high-precision machines, though hand-cutting is still a specialized craft.

Puzzle competitions are a real thing! The World Jigsaw Puzzle Championship is held annually in Spain, drawing top puzzlers from around the globe.

Speed Puzzling is considered a “competitive sport” where Individuals have set records by solving 500-piece puzzles in less than five minutes, demonstrating exceptional skill.

Missing piece mystery: The production of puzzles is so precise that most manufacturers guarantee no missing pieces. However, if you do lose a piece, some companies will send a replacement if you provide the puzzle’s batch number and the missing piece’s location.

Missing Puzzle Piece Phobia: Some people suffer from a condition known as “jigsaw puzzle piece phobia” or “dissection puzzle phobia.” This condition involves an irrational fear or discomfort associated with handling or even just thinking about jigsaw puzzle pieces. It can be quite debilitating for those who experience it.

Puzzle therapy is a thing: Jigsaw puzzles are used in cognitive therapy to improve memory, concentration, and problem-solving skills—making them beneficial for people of all ages.

Puzzle piece shapes: The classic “interlocking” design wasn’t standardized until the 20th century. Before that, pieces often had straight edges and simple shapes!

Some people experience “jigsaw puzzle piece phobia,” also known as “dissection puzzle phobia.” This rare condition involves an irrational fear or deep discomfort related to handling or even thinking about jigsaw puzzle pieces, and it can be quite debilitating for those who have it.

The study of puzzles is called enigmatology. . . and yes you can get a degree in puzzles.

“Dissectologist” is a term for jigsaw puzzle enthusiasts.

The world’s largest commercially available jigsaw puzzle has 40,320 pieces, created by Ravensburger. It is called “Memorable Disney Moments”.  When completed, it measures nearly 23 feet long!

The smallest jigsaw puzzle has only four pieces and measures just 2.5 cm×2.5 cm.

The fastest jigsaw puzzle (Number of pieces: 250) completion record is 9 minutes and 58 seconds on December 26, 2020, set by Tammy McLeod.