Wednesday Open Line


Three important dates in American newspaper history occurred in September. These anniversaries span more than three centuries. On September 15, 1982, USA Today began publishing. Critics at the time said the idea of a national newspaper was doomed to failure — now, USA Today is one of the country’s largest-selling dailies. On September 18, 1851, the New York Times issued its first edition. And, on this date in 1690, the first newspaper in America was published for one day in Boston before being shut down by British authorities unhappy with its content. There are almost 1,400 daily newspapers published across the nation. Of these, over 900 have Sunday editions.