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History of Solitaire
From 18th-century European card tables to today’s browser games — how solitaire became the world’s favorite patience game.
Solitaire — known as “patience” in Britain — has been played for centuries. This page traces its journey from aristocratic parlors to the digital Klondike deal millions play every day.
Origins in Europe
Most historians trace patience games to late-18th-century France and Germany, where printed card games became popular. The first written rules appeared in the early 1800s, and “patience” entered English dictionaries by the 1840s.
Klondike goes digital
The Klondike variant most people call “solitaire” got its name from the 1890s Klondike gold rush. In 1990, Microsoft bundled Klondike with Windows to teach mouse skills — and made it the most-played computer game in the world.
Solitaire today
Today solitaire lives online: Spider, FreeCell, Pyramid, Baker’s Game, Crescent, and many more variants are free in the browser, with hints, undo, and daily challenges. SolitaireHot keeps that classic green-felt feel with modern, no-download play.