What had you accomplished by the time you were 15? My most significant accomplishment was watching Get Smart. I do hope the upcoming film doesn't wreck my childhood memories.
Caleb Madison is 15 and today he gets his first published NYT puzzle (answers). Amy has a fascinating list of youngest published Times constructors. Mr. Madison is #2 on the list. Mike Miller beat him out by 15 months with his 1976 puzzle which is too early to be in my database. Other notables on the list include Tyler Hinman, the current American Crossword Puzzle Tournament champion who also first published at age 15, and Merl Reagle who burst onto the scene in 1967 as a 17 year old and hasn't stopped.
I presume Mr. Madison is a film buff. I wonder if he's seen Mary Pickford or Douglas Fairbanks Sr. or even Charlie Chaplin, the three stars who, with a couple of friends, began United Artists. He probably has.
I would not have guessed the puzzle came from a teenager. In fact, with references to an old TV show, a 60s musical, Jules Verne, and some graying (or even decomposing) singers, it seemed to indicate someone closer to my age. It didn't seem like a halting first attempt, either. I know constructors at the Times get outstanding editorial support from the Puzzlemaster but still, this seemed confidently constructed.
So I lift a (non-alcoholic for a few more years, Caleb!) glass and offer congratulations. Keep cranking, Mr. Madison. You only need another 241 to leap ahead of Manny Nosowsky on my list. You're off to a great start.