Where this game comes from
Logic grids and the zebra puzzle
The most famous logic-grid puzzle, “Who owns the zebra?”, was printed in Life International magazine on 17 December 1962. Five houses, five owners, a list of clues: who owns the zebra, and who drinks water? The answer and the names of several hundred readers who solved it were printed on 25 March 1963.
One thing to hold: The grid. Each ✓ you place is a fact; each ✗ is a fact too — and a ✓ crosses out the rest of its row and column.
Why it matters: You never guess. Every clue removes possibilities until only one arrangement is left, and you can point to the clue that forced each mark.
What we don’t know: Nobody knows who wrote it. It is often called “Einstein’s riddle” or credited to Lewis Carroll, but there is no evidence for either, and the 1962 version names neither of them.
Dates:
- 1962 Life International prints “Who owns the zebra?”
- 1963 Life prints the answer and the names of hundreds of solvers