Several unreliable sources list January 29 as Puzzle Day. The first jigsaw puzzle was created around 1760, when John Spilsbury, a British engraver and mapmaker, mounted a map on a sheet of wood and then sawed around each individual country. Spilsbury used the product to aid in teaching geography.
By the early 20th century, magazines and newspapers found that they could increase their daily subscriptions by publishing puzzle contests. The world’s first crossword was published on December 21, 1913 in the New York World’s Sunday newspaper. The puzzle was created by journalist Arthur Wayne.
These are some of the best sites I’ve found for puzzling resources.
365 Holidays a Year 