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A
NEWSPAPER FOR LONDON
London's first newspaper is published on September 24. Corante,
as it's called, is full of "newes" from all over Europe - France,
Germany, Hungary, Italy, and Spain. |
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NEW
WORLD NEWSPAPERS
The first American colonial printing press appears. |
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A
PENNY SAVED…
The penny post arrives in London. |
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READ
ALL ABOUT IT
On September 25, the first colonial newspaper was published.
Unfortunately, it was extremely short-lived (a single issue)
because 'Publick Occurences Both Foreign and Domestick' (for
such was its title) 'disturbed' the governor of Massachusetts.
All of the unsold copies were, sadly, destroyed. |
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POOR
RICHARD'S ALMANACK
Benjamin Franklin's "Poor Richard's Almanack" is published in
Philadelphia, containing useful information for farmers (times
of sunset and sunrise, tide calendars, weather predictions,
and dates for planting and harvesting, plus hygiene advice,
suggestions & recipes), as well as advice created by the
fictional Richard Saunders ("Never leave till tomorrow that
which you can do today"). Published for 25 years to an audience
of 10 000, Poor Richard's Almanack is outsold only by the Bible. |
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TYPEWRITER
PATENTED
The first typewriter: Henry Mill secures the patent. |
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BETTER
STILL…
The invention of the eraser. |
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MAIL
TRANSPORTED BY COACH
Stagecoaches carry mail between American towns. It's hardly
an efficient means of transport-by 1800 it still takes 20 days
for a letter to reach Savannah from Portland, Maine. Then again…
maybe things haven't changed that much : ) |
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POSTMEN
The first letter carriers (or mailmen, as they were then called),
began to deliver mail in North America. |
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IMPROVEMENTS
ON IMAGEING
A camera called 'lucida' further improves the tracing of images.
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ADS
IN PRINT
A French newspaper is the first to carry classified advertisements. |
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MAGIC
LANTERN
A German Jesuit named Kirchner invents the magic lantern. |
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BROADSIDES
Broadsides (unfolded newspapers), are printed. |
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THAT'S
MORE LIKE IT
The 'Boston News-Letter' is the first CONTINUOUS newspaper,
published for the first time on April 24, 1704 by John Campbell,
this time with the authority of the governor. The paper was
only one sheet of 7x11.5-inch paper, printed on both sides with
news AND rumours. |
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NOT
AGAIN!
John Peter Zenger's New York Weekly Journal seemed to disturb
the governor of New York, and Zenger was charged with libel
for his disturbing news (namely that the governor tried to rig
an election). In 1745, the plaintiff was acquitted. His defence?
He printed the truth! The decision is considered an important
milestone for freedom of the press. |
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OCEANMAIL
Mail is regularly carried back and forth between England and
the colonies (North America) by ship. |
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AMERICAN
POST OFFICE
The Conditional Congress authorizes a post office, and guess
who becomes the very first Postmaster General? Benjamin Franklin!
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FLAGS
CARRY NEWS
A mechanical semaphore system of  sending
signals is built in France. This visual telegraph, the brainchild
of brothers Claude Chappe and Ignace Urbain Jean, transmits
messages first between Paris and Lille and soon all throughout
the country. |
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CARBON
COPY
Carbon paper is invented.
Carbon paper is invented. Carbon paper is invented.
(you get the idea) |
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