 The earliest known description of a fold-and-cut problem appears in "Wakoku Chiyekurabe" (Mathematical Contests), a book that was published in 1721 by Kan Chu Sen in Japan.An 1873 article in "Harper's New Monthly Magazine" describes how Betsy Ross may have proposed that stars on the American flag have five points, because such a shape can easily be obtained by the fold-and-cut method.In the 20th century, several magicians published books containing examples of fold-and-cut problems, including Will Blyth, Harry Houdini, and Gerald Loe (1955).