A deep dive into the viral 1903 math puzzle 'How Old Is Ann?' — a word problem about the ages of two sisters that swept American newspapers and popular culture. The puzzle (Mary is 24, twice as old as Ann was when Mary was Ann's current age — how old is Ann?) spawned songs, plays, cartoons, and a flood of wrong answers from prominent citizens. The post collects contemporary newspaper quotes, humorous wrong solutions, parody poems, and cultural commentary showing how the puzzle became a short-lived national craze before fading away by late 1903.
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