The Scripps National Spelling Bee is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year! The first national spelling bee was organized in 1925 by The Courier-Journal newspaper in Louisville, Kentucky. 11-year-old Frank Neuhauser won the first year, beating out 9 others by correctly spelling “gladiolus”. He won $500 in gold pieces, had a parade thrown in his honor, and got to meet President Calvin Coolidge. The E.W. Scripps Company acquired the rights to the program in 1941. To qualify, a speller must win a regional competition. It’s open to student’s who haven’t yet completed the 8th grade, reached their 15th birthday, nor won a previous National Spelling Bee. A speller has 90 seconds from when a word is first pronounced to spell it correctly. During this time, they can ask for the word’s definition, part of speech, to use it in a sentence, language of origin, alternate pronunciations, and root. The winner of this year’s Bee will receive $52,500 in cash, a trophy, reference works from Britannica and Merriam-Webster, and a $1,000 contribution to the school of their choice. The Bee was first televised in 1946. You can watch this year on Ion. The semifinals are 8pm tonight, and the finals are live tomorrow at 8pm. Learn more in the audio below.