Who invented the game Solitaire?
Solitaire games, also known as “Patience” in Britain, are card games for a single player. There is not a precise history of solitaires, but it is probable that they were first played with tarot cards, which would indicate that solitaire most likely preceded traditional multiplayer card games. In its early days, solitaire was most prevalent in Europe. Playing cards were first introduced in Italy in the 1300s. During that time they also became popular in Northern Europe. The first known solitaire game rules were recorded during the Napoleonic era. The very word ‘solitaire’ is of a French origin, and it means ‘patience’. Napoleon, deported to the island lost in the ocean, knew what confinement felt like fully; he also knew how cards could solace one sentenced to solitude.
