The Viral 1903 Math Puzzle That Stumped America: How Old Is Ann?
I explore the history of a notorious arithmetic riddle from 1903 that captivated the United States, leading to widespread confusion and humorous misinterpretations. Originally published in the New York World, the problem regarding the ages of Mary and Ann sparked a national frenzy, inspiring songs, plays, and satirical responses. This piece examines how a simple question baffled prominent figures and became a cultural phenomenon comparable to modern viral puzzles.
The amount and quality of intelligence utilized in the working out of cross-word puzzles almost precisely equal those that were revealed some years ago when an amazing — and discouraging — army of Americans filled the newspapers that cater to such folk with triumphant solutions of an arithmetical problem concerning the age of a supposititious Ann.