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Scrabble Day is April 13th

Friday the 13th has arrived and along with the regular superstitious connotations there is another event being celebrated. This Friday the 13th is also a reason for Scrabble enthusiasts to get excited about as it is "Scrabble Day."

The holiday celebrates the birthday of Scrabble's inventor - Alfred Mosher Butts, who created the game in 1938 but called it "Criss-Crosswords."

After losing his job as an architect and falling into poverty, Butts was forced to seek entertainment by any means he could find. He combined his creativity and mapping skills with his love for crossword puzzles in an initial game called Lexiko, according to the Scrabble Association.

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Butts tabulated the frequency of the letters using examples in the dictionary, magazines, and newspapers, and was able to invent the word game.

Many established game manufacturers rejected Butts' idea, but after meeting gamer and entrepreneur James Brunot and making refinements to the game, the first Scrabble board was made in 1948.

The game's popularity mounted in 1952 as it met high demand, and has since become a staple in households across the world.

Today, the game has two forms. The classic board game is still widely popular, but "Words with Friends" has swept smartphones and social media sites. The digital game incorporates the same rules and procedures, but can be played from any location on electronic devices.

There are several Scrabble tournaments in major U.S. cities each year, including the National Scrabble Championship, and on alternate years the World Scrabble Championship. Also, the National Scrabble Association hosts over 180 tournaments and over 200 clubs in the U.S. and Canada.

Scrabble is sold in over 121 difference countries in 29 different language versions. The record highest-scoring word ever played was "quixotry" for 363 points.

On Twitter, users are celebrating their favorite board game by posting messages.

"Let's #Celebrate world's favorite board game," wrote Ask Me. "Happy SCRABBLE Day followers. #Retweet if you love Scrabble."

"Today is #Scrabble Day," posted Family Circle. "Celebrate by playing the fun word game with your #kids! Bust out the board game or play online with Words with Friends."

The Twitter account for the Texas radio station WLTX pointed out, "Good morning! It's Friday the 13th! (yikes!) Also is Scrabble Day-- who else is obsessed with Words with Friends?"

Today is also National Peach Cobbler Day, Thomas Jefferson Day, and the 20th anniversary of the Great Chicago Flood.

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