It’s Scrabble’s 75th Anniversary!
Happy National Scrabble Day!
National Scrabble Day, 13th April 2023 – Scrabble, the iconic word game that has brought joy to millions of people around the world for 75 years, today celebrates its milestone anniversary on National Scrabble Day.
The game that started as a passion project by US architect, Alfred Mosher Butts in 1948 has become a beloved game enjoyed by people of all ages with over 165 million sets having been sold to date. Since its creation, Scrabble has stood the test of time, becoming one of the most popular and enduring board games in history. Its success is built upon a simple truth: It’s not how many words you know, but how you use them that matters.
The tactical game of wits and words keeps on reinventing itself with dynamic innovations welcoming a new look that embraces all players, both long-time fans and newcomers. And Scrabble continues to inspire enthusiasm across the globe with its latest extensions including Scrabble Junior, Scrabble Trap Tiles, and Scrabble Vision, which has brought augmented reality to gameplay. The brand is set to enjoy future success as it carries on joining forces with fan favourites like Harry Potter and Star Wars.
Ray Adler, Vice President, and Global Head of Games at Mattel said
“We are thrilled to be celebrating 75 years of the ground-breaking strategic word game Scrabble. After 75 years, Scrabble continues to be one of the most iconic games in the world by fostering meaningful connections across generations, harnessing the power of words, and celebrating the benefits of positive expression. An ethos brought vividly to life by players enjoying the simple fun of building words together on a shared game board. We hope you too are sharing the fun beyond words of Scrabble today!”
In the UK, to celebrate Scrabble’s 75th anniversary & the forthcoming coronation of King Charles III who also turns 75 this year, milliner to the stars Justin Smith has created a crown of Scrabble tiles, inspired by the St Edward’s Crown of the real British Crown Jewels. Renowned for creating couture headwear for Hollywood stars including Angelina Jolie, Emma Thompson, and Amal Clooney, the British milliner’s playful take on St Edward’s Crown will go on display in London from National Scrabble Day April 13th until the King’s coronation on May 6th.
In France, spoken word artist (or ‘slameuse’ in French) Chloe M has created an ode to Scrabble. Inspired by her favourite game’s 75th anniversary and her love of the French language (‘la langue vivante’), the gifted wordsmith is marking the occasion by performing her ‘Scrabble slam’ in front of Paris’ Eiffel Tower.
Globally, adult Scrabble fans are encouraged to post their proudest Scrabble moments and endeavours using the #75yearsofScrabble.
In honour of its anniversary year, Scrabble’s 75th commemorative edition will be available to buy this summer. It is the most premium Scrabble ever built, made from more sustainable materials than any previous version of Scrabble to date. Featuring an espresso-stained wooden gameboard casing and tile racks, wood tiles, and a rotating board with a gameboard grid.
Scrabble is now available in 30 languages across 120 countries around the world, with Ukrainian being the latest language to be introduced in 2006, along with Scrabble having also been in braille for the visually impaired. As it celebrates its landmark birthday, Scrabble is perfectly positioned to rack up another 75 years of fun beyond words.
