When did The Observer first issue appear?
The first issue of The Observer appeared on the 4th of December 1791. W.S. Bourne published it with the hope of building wealth but quickly accumulated debts nearing £1,600.
The first issue of The Observer appeared on the 4th of December 1791. W.S. Bourne published it with the hope of building wealth but quickly accumulated debts nearing £1,600.
Lewis Doxat served as editor during the transition period starting in 1807 and Julius Beer bought the paper in 1870. Rachel Beer assumed the editorship in 1891 following her husband Henry Duff Traill before Lord Northcliffe acquired the paper in 1903.
Farzad Bazoft faced execution in Iraq in 1990 due to charges of spying despite claims of innocence. An Iraqi colonel who arrested Bazoft later told The Observer he believed the journalist was not a spy.
The newspaper converted to Berliner format on Sunday the 8th of January 2006. This change aligned it with its daily partner The Guardian.
Scott Trust Limited transferred ownership to Tortoise Media on the 18th of December 2024. A new website launched on the 25th of April 2025 and the first print edition under new ownership appeared on the 27th of April 2025.