On May 22, National Solitaire Day recognizes a card game that has been around for more than 200 years.

Also known as Klondike, the classic version of the game uses a standard deck of 52 playing cards. The object of the game is to clear the board by creating a stack of cards from low to high in each suit. If the player completes each suit, the player wins the game of Solitaire.

It wasn’t until 1990 when Microsoft included Solitaire in Windows 3.0 that the game truly went viral. Microsoft Solitaire successfully helped teach computer users how to use a mouse and, in the process, ended up becoming one of the most played video games in history.

“…For the past 30 years, Microsoft Solitaire has been providing great entertainment to hundreds of millions of players in every corner of the world, and we’re happy to announce that May 22 of each calendar year will officially be designated as National Solitaire Day, recognizing the day Microsoft first included Solitaire in Windows,” says Paul Jensen, Studio Manager for Microsoft Casual Games.

In 2012, Microsoft evolved Solitaire into the Microsoft Solitaire Collection. These changes feature five of the top Solitaire games in one app. Since then, the game has been played by over 242 million people.

Microsoft Solitaire Collection is available as a free download from the Windows, iPhone, and Android App Stores.

NATIONAL SOLITAIRE DAY HISTORY

Microsoft founded National Solitaire Day on May 22, 2018, to celebrate one of the most played computer games. In 2015, Microsoft Solitaire celebrated its 25th anniversary. National Solitaire Day continues that celebration with an annual event recognizing the contributions Microsoft Solitaire has provided in the computer age of the game.

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HOW TO OBSERVE National Solitaire Day

There’s no need to be particularly productive to celebrate the day – just play some Solitaire! Either on a computer, laptop, tablet, phone, or “go retro” and play using real cards. And use #NationalSolitaireDay to post on social media to share in the fun of this classic card game.