History of The Boston Globe in Timeline

The Boston Globe is a prominent American daily newspaper established and headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts. As the city's oldest and largest daily newspaper, it holds a significant position in local news and media. In 2023, it ranked as the tenth-largest newspaper in the United States based on print circulation, demonstrating its continued reach and influence in the media landscape.

1912: Associated Newspapers Syndicate

In 1912, The Boston Globe was one of four newspapers to form the Associated Newspapers syndicate.

1913: Signed editorials expanded to weekday editions

In 1913, the practice of signing each lead editorial in The Boston Globe with "Uncle Dudley" was expanded to weekday editions.

1921: Charles H. Taylor Death

Charles H. Taylor, the first publisher of The Boston Globe, served until his death in 1921.

1940: Correctly projected the reelection of Leverett Saltonstall

In 1940, The Boston Globe correctly projected the reelection of Republican incumbent Leverett Saltonstall in the Massachusetts gubernatorial election.

1955: Laurence L. Winship Named Editor

In 1955, Laurence L. Winship was named editor of The Boston Globe by publisher William Davis Taylor, ending the extended period of a publisher-editor.

1958: Moved to Morrissey Boulevard

In 1958, The Boston Globe moved from its original location on Washington Street in downtown Boston to Morrissey Boulevard in the Dorchester neighborhood.

1960: "Daily" was dropped from the nameplate

In 1960, the word "Daily" was dropped from the title of the morning edition, previously named The Boston Daily Globe.

1965: Thomas Winship became editor

In 1965, Thomas Winship succeeded his father as editor of The Boston Globe.

1966: Uncle Dudley practice ended

In 1966, editor Thomas Winship ended the practice of signing each lead editorial in The Boston Globe with "Uncle Dudley".

1967: First major paper to oppose Vietnam War

In 1967, The Boston Globe became the first major paper in the U.S. to oppose the Vietnam War.

1967: First political endorsement

In 1967, The Boston Globe made its first political endorsement, supporting Kevin White in that year's Boston mayoral election.

1973: Sale to The New York Times

In 1973, The Boston Globe was sold to The New York Times after being privately held.

1973: Went public under the name Affiliated Publications

In 1973, The Boston Globe went public under the name Affiliated Publications but continued to be managed by descendants of Charles Taylor.

1974: Listed as one of the ten best US daily newspapers in Time magazine

In 1974, Time magazine listed The Boston Globe as one of the ten best US daily newspapers.

1979: Boston Evening Globe ceased publication

In 1979, The Boston Evening Globe, the afternoon edition of The Boston Globe, ceased publication.

March 1980: Editorial headline error

In March 1980, The Boston Globe published an editorial with the accidental headline "Mush from the Wimp" during part of the press run, drawing national attention.

1981: Editorial pages separate from news operation

Since 1981, the editorial pages of The Boston Globe have been separate from the news operation.

1984: Thomas Winship leaves as editor

In 1984, Thomas Winship stepped down as editor. During his tenure, The Boston Globe won a dozen Pulitzer Prizes.

1984: Listed as one of the ten best US daily newspapers in Time magazine

In 1984, Time magazine listed The Boston Globe as one of the ten best US daily newspapers.

1993: Sold to the New York Times for $1.1 Billion

In 1993, The Boston Globe was sold to The New York Times for $1.1 billion.

1993: The New York Times Company purchased Affiliated Publications

In 1993, The New York Times Company purchased Affiliated Publications, making The Boston Globe a wholly-owned subsidiary.

1995: Boston.com launched

In 1995, Boston.com, the online edition of The Boston Globe, was launched on the World Wide Web.

1998: Patricia Smith Resigns; Mike Barnicle Suspended and Resigns

In 1998, columnist Patricia Smith was forced to resign after it was discovered that she had fabricated people and quotations in several of her columns. In August of that year, columnist Mike Barnicle was discovered to have copied material for a column from a George Carlin book, Brain Droppings. He was suspended for this offense, and his past columns were reviewed. The Boston Globe editors found that Barnicle had fabricated a story about two cancer patients, and Barnicle was forced to resign.

1999: Last Taylor family members left management

By 1999, the last Taylor family members had left the management of The Boston Globe.

1999: Tied for sixth in a national survey

In 1999, The Boston Globe tied for sixth place in a national survey of top editors who chose "America's Best Newspapers" in the Columbia Journalism Review.

2000: Jeff Jacoby Suspended for Plagiarism

In 2000, columnist Jeff Jacoby was suspended by The Boston Globe for failing to credit non-original content used in his column.

2001: Uncovering the Roman Catholic Church sex abuse scandal

From 2001 to 2003, Globe reporters Michael Rezendes, Matt Carroll, Sacha Pfeiffer and Walter Robinson, and editor Ben Bradlee Jr. were instrumental in uncovering the Roman Catholic Church sex abuse scandal, especially in relation to Massachusetts churches.

2001: Describing the political position

In 2001, former editorial page editor Renée Loth described the political position of The Boston Globe editorial page in the Boston University alumni magazine.

2002: Coverage of Catholic Church sex abuse scandal

In 2002, The Boston Globe's coverage of the Roman Catholic Church sex abuse scandal received international media attention.

2003: Uncovering the Roman Catholic Church sex abuse scandal

2004: Theo Epstein Named Bostonian of the Year

In 2004, Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein was named Bostonian of the Year by The Boston Globe.

2004: Peter Gammons Notes section on baseball

In 2004, The Boston Globe allowed Peter Gammons to start his Notes section on baseball.

2004: Globe Apologizes for Printing Unverified Graphic Photographs

In 2004, The Boston Globe apologized for printing graphic photographs that the article represented as showing U.S. soldiers raping Iraqi women during the Iraq War from a city councilor's presentation before they were verified; the photos had already been found by other news organizations to be from an internet pornography site.

April 12, 2005: Seal Hunt Story Retracted

In the spring of 2005, The Boston Globe retracted a story describing the events of a seal hunt near Halifax, Nova Scotia, that was said to have taken place on April 12, 2005. The article, written by Barbara Stewart, fabricated details as the hunt had not yet begun that day.

July 31, 2005: Peter Gammons honored at the Baseball Hall of Fame

On July 31, 2005, Peter Gammons was honored at the Baseball Hall of Fame.

2005: Edward Ginsburg Named Bostonian of the Year

In 2005, retired judge and Big Dig whistleblower Edward Ginsburg was named Bostonian of the Year by The Boston Globe.

October 23, 2006: Boston Globe Media announced the publication of Design New England: The Magazine of Splendid Homes and Gardens.

On October 23, 2006, Boston Globe Media announced the publication of Design New England: The Magazine of Splendid Homes and Gardens, a glossy oversized magazine published six times per year.

2006: Deval Patrick Named Bostonian of the Year

In 2006, Deval Patrick, then governor, was named Bostonian of the Year by The Boston Globe.

2007: Pulitzer Prize for Charlie Savage

In 2007, Charlie Savage of The Boston Globe won the Pulitzer Prize for National Reporting for his reports on President Bush's use of signing statements.

2007: Bruce Marks Named Bostonian of the Year

In 2007, Neighborhood Assistance Corporation of America founder and CEO Bruce Marks was named Bostonian of the Year by The Boston Globe.

2008: Paul Pierce Named Bostonian of the Year

In 2008, NBA champion Paul Pierce was named Bostonian of the Year by The Boston Globe.

April 2, 2009: The New York Times Company threatened to close the paper

On April 2, 2009, The New York Times Company threatened to close The Boston Globe if its unions did not agree to $20 million of cost savings.

May 3, 2009: Unions agreed to concessions

On May 3, 2009, The Boston Globe's other three major unions agreed to concessions after The New York Times Company threatened to give the government 60 days' notice that it intended to close the paper.

May 5, 2009: Tentative deal with the Boston Newspaper Guild

On May 5, 2009, The New York Times Company announced it had reached a tentative deal with the Boston Newspaper Guild, allowing it to get the concessions it demanded.

2009: Two Emmy Awards

In 2009, Boston.com won two regional Emmy Awards for its video work.

2009: Elizabeth Warren Named Bostonian of the Year

In 2009, professor Elizabeth Warren was named Bostonian of the Year by The Boston Globe.

2010: Hosted 28 blogs

As of 2010, The Boston Globe hosted 28 blogs covering a variety of topics, including Boston sports and local politics.

2010: Scott Brown Named Bostonian of the Year

In 2010, Republican politician Scott Brown was named Bostonian of the Year by The Boston Globe.

September 2011: Launched subscription-based website

In September 2011, The Boston Globe launched a dedicated, subscription-based website at bostonglobe.com.

September 2011: Globe Withdraws Stories from Boston.com

Starting in September 2011, The Boston Globe gradually withdrew stories written by Globe journalists from Boston.com, making the sites more separated.

2011: Carmen Ortiz and Robert Orchard Named Bostonians of the Year

In 2011, U.S. attorney Carmen Ortiz and ArtsEmerson executive director Robert Orchard were named Bostonians of the Year by The Boston Globe.

2012: Aly Raisman and Kayla Harrison Named Bostonians of the Year

In 2012, Olympic gold medalists Aly Raisman and Kayla Harrison were named Bostonians of the Year by The Boston Globe.

2012: BostonGlobe.com Selected as World's Best-Designed News Website

In 2012, the Society for News Design selected BostonGlobe.com as the world's best-designed news website.

2012: Printing and circulating service for the Boston Herald

Starting in 2012, The Boston Globe provided a printing and circulating service for the Boston Herald.

February 2013: NYT Company announced it would sell its New England Media Group

In February 2013, The New York Times Company announced that it would sell its New England Media Group, which encompasses The Boston Globe.

July 2013: Henry made a separate bid to purchase the Globe

In July 2013, John W. Henry made a separate bid to purchase The Boston Globe after the NESN group dropped out of the running.

October 24, 2013: John Henry took ownership of the Globe

On October 24, 2013, John W. Henry took ownership of The Boston Globe, at a $70 million purchase price, and renamed the venture Boston Globe Media.

2013: Handling rival's entire press run

By 2013, The Boston Globe was handling its rival, the Boston Herald's, entire press run.

2013: Dan Marshall, Natalie Stavas, and Larry Hittinger Named Bostonians of the Year

In 2013, Dan Marshall, Natalie Stavas, and Larry Hittinger, three people who were near the Boston Marathon bombing, were named Bostonians of the Year by The Boston Globe.

2013: Purchase by John W. Henry

In 2013, John W. Henry, owner of the Boston Red Sox and Liverpool F.C., purchased The Boston Globe from The New York Times Company for $70 million.

2013: NYT calls Globe one of the nation's most prestigious papers

In 2013, The New York Times called The Boston Globe "one of the nation's most prestigious papers".

January 30, 2014: Henry named himself publisher

On January 30, 2014, John W. Henry named himself publisher of The Boston Globe and named Mike Sheehan CEO.

March 2014: Globe Withdraws Stories from Boston.com

By March 2014, The Boston Globe had gradually withdrawn stories written by Globe journalists from Boston.com, making the sites more separated. Boston.com followed suit in 2014 using a responsive design that automatically adapts its layout to a device's screen size.

September 2014: Crux Launched by The Globe

In September 2014, Crux was launched by The Boston Globe to focus on news related to the Catholic Church.

2014: Market Basket Employees Named Bostonians of the Year

In 2014, Market Basket employees were named Bostonians of the Year by The Boston Globe.

2015: Stat Launched

In 2015, Stat was launched to cover health, medicine, and life sciences, with a focus on the biotechnology industry in and around Boston. Stat employs journalists in multiple cities.

2015: Spotlight Film Release

In 2015, the American drama film Spotlight, based on The Boston Globe's coverage of the Roman Catholic Church sex abuse scandal, was released.

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March 2016: The Globe Ends Association with Crux

At the end of March 2016, The Boston Globe ended its association with Crux, transferring ownership of the website to the Crux staff. John L. Allen Jr. became the new editor, and Crux received sponsorship from the Knights of Columbus and several Catholic dioceses.

July 2016: Headquarters in Dorchester was sold

In July 2016, The Boston Globe's headquarters in Dorchester was sold to an unknown buyer.

January 2017: Doug Franklin replaced Mike Sheehan as CEO

In January 2017, Doug Franklin replaced Mike Sheehan as CEO of The Boston Globe.

June 2017: Printing operations moved

In June 2017, The Boston Globe moved its printing operations to Myles Standish Industrial Park in Taunton, Massachusetts.

July 2017: Doug Franklin resigned as CEO

In July 2017, Doug Franklin resigned as CEO of The Boston Globe due to strategic conflicts with owner Henry.

2017: Ann McKee Named Bostonian of the Year

In 2017, neuropathologist Ann McKee was named Bostonian of the Year by The Boston Globe.

August 2018: Campaign for newspapers to respond to Trump's attacks

In August 2018, the editorial board launched a coordinated campaign for newspapers nationwide to respond to President Donald Trump's "enemy of the people" attacks.

2018: Design New England ceases publication

In 2018, Design New England: The Magazine of Splendid Homes and Gardens ceased publication.

2018: Kevin Cullen Suspended for Embellishing Claims

In 2018, columnist Kevin Cullen was suspended by The Boston Globe for embellishing claims he made on radio and in public appearances related to the Boston Marathon bombing.

2018: Printing arrangement ended after acquisition of the Herald by Digital First Media

In 2018, the printing arrangement between The Boston Globe and the Boston Herald ended after the acquisition of the Herald by Digital First Media.

May 2019: Chain Pleads Guilty to Threatening Communications

In May 2019, Robert Chain pleaded guilty in a US federal court to seven counts of making threatening communications in interstate commerce.

2020: Endorsed Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden

In the 2020 presidential election, The Boston Globe endorsed Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden.

December 2021: The Globe Has 226,000 Digital Subscribers.

As of December 2021, The Globe had 226,000 digital subscribers, among the highest of any metro newspapers in the country.

February 2022: Digital-only subscriptions increased

Since February 2022, The Boston Globe has more than 245,000 digital-only subscriptions, an increase of about 10,000.

July 2022: James Dao named editorial page editor

In July 2022, James Dao was named the editorial page editor of The Boston Globe.

September 1, 2022: Circulation increased

From September 1, 2022, to August 31, 2023, the Globe's combined print and digital circulation for weekdays increased by 2.7%, and for Sundays it rose by 1.3%.

November 2022: Nancy Barnes replace Brian McGrory as editor

In November 2022, The Boston Globe announced that Nancy Barnes would replace Brian McGrory as editor.

2022: The Emancipator Launched

In 2022, The Emancipator was launched in partnership with Boston University to cover racial justice.

2022: James Dao became the editorial page editor

James Dao became the editorial page editor in 2022.

March 2023: The Globe's Involvement with The Emancipator Ended

In March 2023, The Boston Globe's involvement with The Emancipator ended.

August 31, 2023: Circulation increased

From September 1, 2022, to August 31, 2023, the Globe's combined print and digital circulation for weekdays increased by 2.7%, and for Sundays it rose by 1.3%.

2023: Boston Globe tenth-largest newspaper

As of 2023, The Boston Globe is the tenth-largest newspaper in the United States by print circulation.

January 22, 2025: Boston Globe Media Acquires Boston Magazine

On January 22, 2025, Boston Globe Media acquired Boston magazine from Philadelphia-based Metrocorp Publishing. Chris Vogel is the editor-in-chief as of 2025.