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Constructors who debuted as teenagers

Harrison Walden Daniel Larsen Michael W. Miller Ben Pall Bryan Cheong August Lee-Kovach David Steinberg Paolo Pasco Caleb Madison Milo Beckman Tyler Hinman Paul Schwarzbaum José Chardiet Matt Fuchs Zachary Edward-Brown Ailee Yoshida Will Nediger Simon Marotte Owen Bergstein Tarun Krishnamurthy Natan Last Michael Shteyman Mason Hyunjin Lee Jackson Matz Saul Pink Kyle Mahowald Samuel Smalley Merl Reagle Sam Ezersky Oliver Hill Joel Fagliano Benjamin Lauring Đặng Quang Thắng Ada Nicolle Lindsay McBride Garrett Chalfin Nathan Hasegawa John Westwig Soleil Saint-Cyr Aidan Deshong Finn Vigeland Jonah Kagan Josh Kindler Adam Aaronson Billy Bratton Jem Burch Arthur Schulman Alex Vratsanos Rena Cohen Patrick John Duggan Zachary Spitz Oren Hartstein Harold P. Furth Michael J. Doran Erik Agard Ryan Mathiason Paul G. Remley Owen Travis Joey Weissbrot David Litman Spencer Leach Nina Sloan Zoe Wheeler Henry Hook Anna Shechtman Anne Larsen Conor Sefkow Jack Mowat Aimee Lucido

Here is the list of the 82 constructors who are known to have debuted before they turned 20.

Count shows the total number of published NYT crosswords.

The teens from youngest to oldest at debut:

NameBirthdayDebutAge at debutCountEditor
1.Harrison Walden *Oct 21, 2011Sun Jun 21, 20203,166 days = 8 yr. 8 mo.2Shortz
2.Daniel LarsenSep 18, 2003Tue Feb 14, 20174,898 days = 13 yr. 4 mo. 27 days11Shortz
3.Arthur BennettJul 5, 1955Thu May 22, 19695,070 days = 13 yr. 10 mo. 17 days3Weng
4.Michael W. MillerNov 20, 1962Mon Dec 6, 19765,130 days = 14 yr. 16 days2Weng
5.Ben PallSep 8, 1995Mon Nov 23, 20095,190 days = 14 yr. 2 mo. 15 days5Shortz
6.Bryan CheongMay 20, 2011Fri Sep 5, 20255,222 days = 14 yr. 3 mo. 16 days1Shortz
7.August Lee-KovachApr 25, 2007Sat Oct 9, 20215,281 days = 14 yr. 5 mo. 14 days5Shortz
8.David SteinbergNov 24, 1996Thu Jun 16, 20115,317 days = 14 yr. 6 mo. 23 days111Shortz
9.Oliver Schlossberg *Mar 25, 2011Sun Mar 29, 20265,483 days = 15 yr. 4 days1Shortz
10.Paolo PascoMay 10, 2000Fri Jul 17, 20155,546 days = 15 yr. 2 mo. 7 days27Shortz
11.Caleb MadisonJan 29, 1993Tue May 13, 20085,583 days = 15 yr. 3 mo. 14 days35Shortz
12.Milo BeckmanDec 9, 1995Fri Jun 24, 20115,676 days = 15 yr. 6 mo. 15 days10Shortz
13.Tyler HinmanNov 5, 1984Tue Jul 4, 20005,720 days = 15 yr. 7 mo. 29 days22Shortz
14.Paul SchwarzbaumApr 9, 1962Tue Mar 21, 19785,825 days = 15 yr. 11 mo. 12 days2Maleska
15.José ChardietJun 16, 1994Tue Jul 6, 20105,864 days = 16 yr. 20 days3Shortz
16.Matt FuchsJun 28, 1998Mon Jul 21, 20145,867 days = 16 yr. 23 days3Shortz
17.Ethan CooperMar 23, 1983Mon May 17, 19995,899 days = 16 yr. 1 mo. 24 days15Shortz
18.Zachary Edward-Brown *Aug 7, 2009Sun Dec 14, 20255,973 days = 16 yr. 4 mo. 7 days1Shortz
19.Ailee YoshidaJun 2, 2006Tue Oct 11, 20225,975 days = 16 yr. 4 mo. 9 days2Shortz
20.Will NedigerDec 4, 1989Sat May 27, 20066,018 days = 16 yr. 5 mo. 23 days52Shortz
21.Simon MarotteAug 25, 2004Tue Mar 9, 20216,040 days = 16 yr. 6 mo. 12 days8Shortz
22.Owen BergsteinMay 26, 2008Sat Dec 14, 20246,046 days = 16 yr. 6 mo. 18 days1Fagliano
23.Tarun KrishnamurthyDec 15, 2007Mon Jul 15, 20246,057 days = 16 yr. 7 mo.4Fagliano
24.Natan LastNov 13, 1990Tue Jul 17, 20076,090 days = 16 yr. 8 mo. 4 days42Shortz
25.Francesco TroguMay 25, 1995Mon Jan 30, 20126,094 days = 16 yr. 8 mo. 5 days1Shortz
26.Michael ShteymanMay 9, 1984Tue Feb 13, 20016,124 days = 16 yr. 9 mo. 4 days51Shortz
27.Mason Hyunjin LeeSep 14, 2009Wed Jul 8, 20266,141 days = 16 yr. 9 mo. 24 days1Shortz
28.Jackson MatzMar 30, 2007Fri Mar 8, 20246,188 days = 16 yr. 11 mo. 8 days4Shortz
29.Saul PinkOct 14, 2002Tue Oct 22, 20196,217 days = 17 yr. 8 days1Shortz
30.Kyle MahowaldMar 7, 1987Mon Mar 22, 20046,225 days = 17 yr. 15 days18Shortz
31.Samuel SmalleyApr 24, 2006Sat May 27, 20236,242 days = 17 yr. 1 mo. 3 days2Shortz
32.Merl ReagleJan 5, 1950Sat Feb 11, 19676,246 days = 17 yr. 1 mo. 6 days10Farrar
33.Sam Ezersky *May 29, 1995Sat Jul 28, 20126,270 days = 17 yr. 1 mo. 29 days51Shortz
34.Oliver HillJul 30, 1990Tue Oct 2, 20076,273 days = 17 yr. 2 mo. 2 days16Shortz
35.Joel FaglianoAug 9, 1992Thu Oct 22, 20096,283 days = 17 yr. 2 mo. 13 days65Shortz
36.Benjamin Lauring *Aug 20, 2000Mon Nov 6, 20176,287 days = 17 yr. 2 mo. 17 days2Shortz
37.Đặng Quang ThắngDec 4, 2005Mon May 22, 20236,378 days = 17 yr. 5 mo. 18 days1Shortz
38.Ada NicolleDec 26, 2001Wed Jul 17, 20196,412 days = 17 yr. 6 mo. 21 days4Shortz
39.Lindsay McBrideJun 2, 2005Wed Jan 18, 20236,439 days = 17 yr. 7 mo. 16 days1Shortz
40.Luke K. SchreiberApr 19, 2006Mon Dec 11, 20236,445 days = 17 yr. 7 mo. 22 days4Shortz
41.Garrett ChalfinNov 15, 2004Mon Aug 1, 20226,468 days = 17 yr. 8 mo. 17 days10Shortz
42.Nathan HasegawaJun 25, 2003Wed Apr 14, 20216,503 days = 17 yr. 9 mo. 20 days2Shortz
43.John WestwigAug 20, 1997Mon Jul 20, 20156,543 days = 17 yr. 11 mo.9Shortz
44.Soleil Saint-CyrFeb 13, 2003Mon Feb 1, 20216,563 days = 17 yr. 11 mo. 19 days1Shortz
45.Aidan DeshongJun 10, 2006Fri May 31, 20246,565 days = 17 yr. 11 mo. 21 days6Fagliano
46.Finn VigelandAug 7, 1992Wed Oct 20, 20106,648 days = 18 yr. 2 mo. 13 days21Shortz
47.Jonah Kagan *Jul 8, 1991Tue Dec 1, 20096,721 days = 18 yr. 4 mo. 23 days6Shortz
48.Josh KindlerFeb 7, 2004Wed Jul 20, 20226,738 days = 18 yr. 5 mo. 13 days1Shortz
49.Adam AaronsonJul 12, 2001Sat Jan 4, 20206,750 days = 18 yr. 5 mo. 23 days19Shortz
50.Billy BrattonMar 17, 2003Thu Sep 9, 20216,751 days = 18 yr. 5 mo. 23 days10Shortz
51.Jem BurchOct 24, 2002Thu Apr 22, 20216,755 days = 18 yr. 5 mo. 29 days7Shortz
52.Arthur SchulmanFeb 17, 1935Mon Aug 24, 19536,763 days = 18 yr. 6 mo. 7 days87Farrar
53.Alex VratsanosNov 16, 1992Mon Jun 13, 20116,783 days = 18 yr. 6 mo. 28 days19Shortz
54.Harry ZhengMay 31, 2005Mon Jan 1, 20246,789 days = 18 yr. 7 mo. 1 day2Shortz
55.Rena CohenFeb 24, 2006Thu Oct 3, 20246,796 days = 18 yr. 7 mo. 9 days9Fagliano
56.Matthew L. JonesMar 10, 1976Fri Nov 4, 19946,813 days = 18 yr. 7 mo. 25 days3Shortz
57.Patrick John DugganSep 18, 1989Fri May 23, 20086,822 days = 18 yr. 8 mo. 5 days6Shortz
58.Zachary SpitzFeb 7, 1997Wed Nov 18, 20156,858 days = 18 yr. 9 mo. 11 days6Shortz
59.Lucas Gaviotis WhitestoneNov 19, 1989Wed Sep 10, 20086,870 days = 18 yr. 9 mo. 22 days1Shortz
60.Oren Hartstein *Jun 16, 2006Wed Apr 9, 20256,872 days = 18 yr. 9 mo. 24 days1Shortz
61.Kelsey BoesAug 18, 1992Tue Jun 21, 20116,881 days = 18 yr. 10 mo. 3 days1Shortz
62.Harold P. FurthJan 13, 1930Sun Dec 12, 19486,908 days = 18 yr. 10 mo. 29 days1Farrar
63.Michael J. DoranSep 28, 1984Tue Sep 16, 20036,927 days = 18 yr. 11 mo. 19 days7Shortz
64.Jeffrey HarrisAug 22, 1985Mon Aug 30, 20046,948 days = 19 yr. 8 days3Shortz
65.Erik AgardSep 12, 1993Tue Nov 6, 20126,995 days = 19 yr. 1 mo. 25 days83Shortz
66.Ryan MathiasonJan 23, 2006Mon Mar 31, 20257,007 days = 19 yr. 2 mo. 8 days2Shortz
67.Paul G. RemleyAug 22, 1955Fri Nov 15, 19747,025 days = 19 yr. 2 mo. 24 days6Weng
68.Clara WilliamsonAug 29, 1996Wed Nov 25, 20157,027 days = 19 yr. 2 mo. 27 days1Shortz
69.Zach JesseSep 1, 1984Mon Jan 19, 20047,079 days = 19 yr. 4 mo. 18 days2Shortz
70.Owen Travis *Jul 10, 2001Wed Dec 9, 20207,092 days = 19 yr. 4 mo. 29 days2Shortz
71.Joey WeissbrotNov 6, 1989Wed Apr 8, 20097,093 days = 19 yr. 5 mo. 2 days2Shortz
72.David LitmanFeb 27, 2004Mon Jul 31, 20237,094 days = 19 yr. 5 mo. 4 days1Shortz
73.Spencer LeachDec 4, 2003Sat May 13, 20237,100 days = 19 yr. 5 mo. 9 days8Shortz
74.Nina SloanNov 12, 2001Tue May 4, 20217,113 days = 19 yr. 5 mo. 22 days1Shortz
75.Duncan KimmelApr 13, 1996Wed Nov 25, 20157,165 days = 19 yr. 7 mo. 12 days1Shortz
76.Zoe WheelerMay 23, 1990Tue Jan 19, 20107,181 days = 19 yr. 7 mo. 27 days6Shortz
77.Henry HookSep 18, 1955Fri May 23, 19757,187 days = 19 yr. 8 mo. 5 days59Weng
78.Anna ShechtmanAug 30, 1990Wed May 26, 20107,209 days = 19 yr. 8 mo. 26 days3Shortz
79.Anne LarsenNov 26, 1999Fri Sep 13, 20197,231 days = 19 yr. 9 mo. 18 days2Shortz
80.Conor SefkowDec 16, 2001Tue Oct 12, 20217,240 days = 19 yr. 9 mo. 26 days1Shortz
81.Jack MowatNov 24, 1999Fri Sep 27, 20197,247 days = 19 yr. 10 mo. 3 days2Shortz
82.Aimee LucidoOct 30, 1990Mon Sep 13, 20107,258 days = 19 yr. 10 mo. 14 days19Shortz
* co-constructed with an already-published constructor

The 2020 Father's Day crossword was co-written by 8-year-old Harrison Waldon and his dad Byron. He was 4,882 days old when he made his solo debut, beating second-place Daniel Larsen by 16 days.

Another young constructor of note was Charles Gersch who had his first crossword published in the New York Herald Tribune on February 21, 1944, when he was exactly 13.5 years old. (He made his Times debut in 1951.)

At the other extreme, the oldest NYT constructor is certainly Bernice Gordon. She authored this puzzle at age 95: (Solve, Solution), then this one a year later at age 96: (Solve, Solution), this one at age 97:(Solve, Solution), and this one at 98: (Solve, Solution).

Then, amazingly, Ms. Gordon became the first centenarian constructor by having this puzzle published at age 100: (Solve, Solution), and then this one co-constructed with a teenager the next August: (Solve, Solution). See the list of the oldest known constructors.

Number of teen debuts by Editor:

Shortz:70
Weng:4
Fagliano:4
Farrar:3
Maleska:1
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