▁a ▁single ▁square . ▁She ▁celebrated ▁her ▁ 1 0 0 th ▁birth day ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 4 , ▁just ▁a ▁few ▁weeks ▁after ▁the ▁ 1 0 0 th ▁anni versary ▁of ▁the ▁cross word . ▁Her ▁last ▁puzz le ▁was ▁published ▁in ▁the ▁Los ▁Angeles ▁Times ▁on ▁December ▁ 2 , ▁ 2 0 1 4 . ▁ ▁History ▁of ▁puzz ling ▁Having ▁loved ▁doing ▁puzz les ▁as ▁a ▁child , ▁Gordon ▁started ▁creating ▁her ▁own ▁puzz les ▁for ▁fun ▁in ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 9 5 0 s , ▁shortly ▁after ▁her ▁first ▁husband ▁died . ▁So on ▁after , ▁she ▁started ▁subm itting ▁them ▁to ▁Margaret ▁F arr ar , ▁the ▁first ▁puzz le ▁editor ▁of ▁The ▁New ▁York ▁Times . ▁Despite ▁ 6 ▁or ▁ 7 ▁quick ▁re jections ▁( due ▁to ▁" To o ▁many ▁abbre vi ations ", ▁un famil iar ▁words , ▁etc .), ▁her ▁first ▁puzz le ▁was ▁accepted ▁by ▁the ▁Times ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 2 , ▁a ▁week day ▁puzz le ▁for ▁which ▁she ▁was ▁paid ▁$ 5 ▁or ▁$ 1 0 . ▁According ▁to ▁current ▁puzz le ▁editor ▁Will ▁Short z , ▁this ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁of ▁over ▁ 1 5 0 ▁puzz les ▁from ▁her ▁the ▁NY Times ▁would ▁subsequently ▁print . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 5 5 , ▁she ▁was ▁assigned ▁the ▁' S und ay ▁st um per '. ▁ ▁This ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁of ▁ 9 ▁Sunday ▁puzz les ▁she ▁would ▁author ▁for