Full History Of The Guardian In Timeline From 1907

1907: C.P. Scott Buys The Paper

In 1907, C. P. Scott became the owner of the newspaper after buying it from the estate of Taylor's son.

1911: Publication of Travels in Wicklow, West Kerry and Connemara

In 1911, articles and drawings documenting social conditions in the west of Ireland by J. M. Synge and Jack Yeats were published in the collection Travels in Wicklow, West Kerry and Connemara, commissioned by Scott.

August 1930: Preservation of Daily Newspapers

In August 1930, a special archival copy of all the daily newspapers were preserved in 700 zinc cases.

June 1936: Ownership Passed to the Scott Trust

In June 1936, ownership of the paper was transferred to the Scott Trust, named after John Russell Scott, securing the paper's independence.

1936: Support during the Spanish Civil War

During the Spanish Civil War, starting in 1936, The Manchester Guardian gained respect from the left for supporting the Republican government against Franco's nationalists.

1936: Establishment of The Scott Trust

In 1936, The Scott Trust was established as a charitable foundation to ensure The Guardian's editorial independence in perpetuity, maintaining its financial health to prevent commercial media group takeovers.

1936: Scott Trust Limited Created

In 1936, the Scott Trust Limited was created to ensure The Guardian's financial and editorial independence, safeguarding journalistic freedom and liberal values from commercial or political interference.

1938: George Orwell's Praise in Homage to Catalonia

In 1938, George Orwell wrote in Homage to Catalonia that The Manchester Guardian was the only larger paper that left him with increased respect for its honesty.

Homage to Catalonia

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1939: Support during the Spanish Civil War

During the Spanish Civil War, ending in 1939, The Manchester Guardian gained respect from the left for supporting the Republican government against Franco's nationalists.

1948: Support for the State of Israel

In 1948, The Manchester Guardian supported the new State of Israel.

1951: Closure of Anglican Church Newspaper

Following the closure of the Anglican Church Newspaper, The Guardian, in 1951, the paper would go on to drop "Manchester" from its title in 1959.

1951: Encouragement to Vote Conservative

In 1951, the editor of The Manchester Guardian, A. P. Wadsworth, encouraged readers to vote Conservative in the general election to remove Clement Attlee's Labour government due to his dislike of Aneurin Bevan.

October 1952: News on front page

In October 1952, The Guardian started printing news on the front page, replacing the advertisements that had previously occupied that space.

1956: Opposition to Military Intervention During Suez Crisis

In 1956, The Manchester Guardian strongly opposed military intervention during the Suez Crisis, calling the Anglo-French ultimatum an act of folly.

August 1959: Name Change to The Guardian

On 24 August 1959, The Manchester Guardian officially changed its name to The Guardian, reflecting the growing importance of national and international affairs.

1959: Name change to The Guardian

In 1959, The Guardian dropped "Manchester" from its title, becoming simply The Guardian.

1959: The Manchester Guardian Renamed to The Guardian

In 1959, The Manchester Guardian changed its name to The Guardian. This change was followed by a move to London.

September 1961: London Printing Begins

In September 1961, The Guardian began printing in London, expanding its reach beyond Manchester. Also in September 1961, Nesta Roberts was appointed as the newspaper's first news editor there, becoming the first woman to hold such a position on a British national newspaper.

1961: Newspaper Printed in Manchester Until 1961

The Guardian newspaper was printed in Manchester until 1961, potentially contributing to its image of having frequent typographical errors due to early prints being sent to London by train.

1963: John Cole Appointed News Editor

In 1963, John Cole was appointed news editor by Alastair Hetherington and sharpened the paper's setup.

1964: Move to London

In 1964, The Guardian moved to London, losing some of its regional agenda but continuing to be heavily subsidized by sales of the Manchester Evening News.

1965: Guardian Fiction Award

In 1965, the Guardian Fiction Award was running, later to be succeeded by the Guardian First Book Award.

1967: Preservation of Daily Newspapers

From 1930 to 1967, a special archival copy of all the daily newspapers was preserved in 700 zinc cases.

1967: Guardian Children's Fiction Prize Founded

In 1967, The Guardian Children's Fiction Prize was founded.

1969: Call for British Armed Forces Deployment

Following the 1969 Battle of the Bogside, The Guardian called for the British Armed Forces to be deployed to Northern Ireland to maintain law and order, with the Army deployed from 1969.

January 1972: Bloody Sunday and The Guardian's Response

On 30 January 1972, after troops opened fire on a march in Northern Ireland known as Bloody Sunday, The Guardian argued that both the organizers and the army were to blame, though they acknowledged the army endured a barrage of projectiles.

April 1972: Support for the Widgery Tribunal Report

On 20 April 1972, The Guardian published an article supporting the Widgery Tribunal and its findings regarding the Bloody Sunday killings, arguing that "Widgery's report is not one-sided".

1980: Israeli Knesset designated Jerusalem as the country's capital

In 1980, the Israeli Knesset enacted a law designating the city of Jerusalem, including East Jerusalem, as the country's capital. In response, the UN security council issued resolution 478, censuring the "change in character and status of the Holy City of Jerusalem" and calling on all member states with diplomatic missions in the city to withdraw.

1981: Leader writers join Social Democratic Party

In 1981, three of The Guardian's four leader writers joined the more centrist Social Democratic Party upon its foundation, despite the paper often being considered to be linked inextricably to the Labour Party.

1983: Controversy Surrounding Cruise Missile Documents

In 1983, The Guardian was involved in controversy after publishing documents about cruise missiles leaked by Sarah Tisdall. The paper complied with a court order to hand over the documents, leading to Tisdall's imprisonment.

February 1988: Significant redesign of The Guardian

On February 12, 1988, The Guardian underwent a significant redesign that included improving the quality of its printers' ink and changing its masthead to a juxtaposition of an italic Garamond "The" with a bold Helvetica "Guardian".

1988: Discovery of Zinc Cases

In 1988, 700 zinc cases containing archival copies of daily newspapers were found while the newspaper's archives were deposited at the University of Manchester's John Rylands University Library.

1988: New masthead

In 1988, The Guardian created a new masthead for the newspaper.

1992: Relaunch of features section as G2

In 1992, The Guardian relaunched its features section as G2, a tabloid-format supplement.

June 1993: Acquisition of The Observer

In June 1993, The Guardian bought The Observer from Lonrho, thus acquiring a serious Sunday sister newspaper with similar political views.

1993: The Observer as Sunday Sister Paper

From 1993 to 2025, The Observer served as The Guardian's Sunday sister paper.

1994: Richard Gott Identified as "Agent of Influence"

In 1994, KGB defector Oleg Gordievsky identified Guardian literary editor Richard Gott as "an agent of influence", leading to Gott's resignation.

1995: Libel Suit by Jonathan Aitken

In 1995, Jonathan Aitken, a cabinet minister, sued both the Granada Television programme World in Action and The Guardian for libel. The allegation was that Harrods owner Mohamed Al Fayed had essentially bribed Aitken and his wife by paying for their stay at the Hôtel Ritz in Paris.

1995: Intervention to save the Mail & Guardian in South Africa

In 1995, The Guardian and its parent groups intervened to save the Mail & Guardian in South Africa.

1997: The Guardian produces evidence against Aitken

In 1997, The Guardian produced evidence in court that contradicted Jonathan Aitken's claim that his wife had paid for the hotel stay, weakening his libel case.

May 1998: Guardian Exposes Carlton Television Documentary Fabrication

In May 1998, a series of investigations by The Guardian revealed that an ITV documentary titled 'The Connection,' produced by Carlton Television, was largely fabricated.

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June 1998: The Guardian reveals more fabrications in Carlton documentary

In June 1998 The Guardian revealed further fabrications in another Carlton documentary by the same director who directed The Connection.

1998: The Guardian supports NATO's military intervention in the Kosovo War

In 1998, The Guardian voiced its support for NATO's military intervention in the Kosovo War, advocating for the use of military force.

1998: National Newspaper of the Year Award

In 1998, The Guardian was awarded the National Newspaper of the Year award by the British Press Awards.

1999: Aitken jailed for perjury

In 1999, Jonathan Aitken was jailed for perjury and perverting the course of justice, following The Guardian's exposure of his false claims.

1999: Guardian First Book Award Established

In 1999, The Guardian First Book Award was established as a successor to the Guardian Fiction Award.

1999: The Guardian supports NATO's military intervention in the Kosovo War

In 1999, The Guardian continued to voice its support for NATO's military intervention in the Kosovo War, advocating for the use of military force.

1999: Guardian Student Media Awards Founded

In 1999, the annual Guardian Student Media Awards were founded to recognize excellence in British university and college journalism and design.

June 2000: MORI poll results

In June 2000, a MORI poll indicated that 80% of The Guardian's readers were Labour Party voters, reflecting the paper's readership's tendency to be on the mainstream left of British political opinion.

2000: Eppy Award

In 2000, The Guardian's website won an Eppy award for the best-designed newspaper online service.

2000: Archive Extent Until 2000

In 2000, the current extent of the archives available were 1821 to 2000 for The Guardian and 1791 to 2000 for The Observer.

2000: Editorial favors abolition of British Monarchy

Since an editorial in 2000, The Guardian has favored the abolition of the British monarchy.

September 2001: Front Page of the Year

In September 2001, The Guardian won the Front Page of the Year award for "A declaration of war".

2002: Sale of majority shares of the Mail & Guardian

In 2002, Guardian Media Group (GMG) sold the majority of its shares of the Mail & Guardian in South Africa.

2002: Opening of The Newsroom

In 2002, The Guardian and The Observer opened The Newsroom in London, an archive and visitor centre.

2002: Front Page of the Year Award

In 2002, The Guardian won the Front Page of the Year award for "A declaration of war" from September 12, 2001.

2002: The Guardian defends its right to criticize Israeli government

In 2002, responding to accusations of antisemitism, a Guardian editorial defended the paper's right to criticize the policies and actions of the Israeli government, arguing that such criticism is not inherently anti-Jewish.

January 2003: Editorial supports possible use of force in Iraq

On January 19, 2003, The Observer published an editorial expressing support for the current commitment to a possible use of force, suggesting that military intervention in the Middle East may be the only option for a lasting peace, two months before the 2003 invasion of Iraq.

December 2003: Julie Burchill cites bias against Israel as reason for leaving The Guardian

In December 2003, columnist Julie Burchill cited "striking bias against the state of Israel" as one of the reasons she left The Guardian for The Times.

2003: Formation of GuardianFilms

In 2003, The Guardian started the film production company GuardianFilms, headed by journalist Maggie O'Kane.

2003: Annual social, ethical and environmental audit begins

Since 2003, The Guardian is the only British national daily to conduct an annual social, ethical and environmental audit, examining its own behavior as a company under the scrutiny of an independent external auditor.

2003: Archives will eventually run up to 2003

The archives available will eventually run up to 2003.

July 2004: Launch of Guardian Soulmates

In July 2004, The Guardian launched a dating website called Guardian Soulmates.

August 2004: The Guardian launches 'Operation Clark County'

In August 2004, The Guardian launched an experimental letter-writing campaign called 'Operation Clark County' in Clark County, Ohio, aimed at influencing undecided voters in the US presidential election.

October 2004: Controversy over Charlie Brooker's column

In October 2004, a humorous column by Charlie Brooker published in The Guardian's entertainment guide included a final sentence that some viewed as a call for violence against US President George W. Bush, leading to controversy and an apology from Brooker and the paper.

October 2004: The Guardian scraps 'Operation Clark County'

On 21 October 2004, The Guardian scrapped 'Operation Clark County' after publishing a column of largely outraged responses to the campaign, facing criticism and suggestions that the campaign contributed to Bush's victory in Clark County.

December 2004: Circulation figures

In December 2004, The Guardian had circulation figures.

2004: Amnesty International Media Award

In 2004, GuardianFilms received an Amnesty International Media Award.

2004: Paul Foot Award Established

In 2004, The Guardian and Private Eye jointly set up the Paul Foot Award for investigative or campaigning journalism in memory of Paul Foot.

2004: Plans to change to Berliner format

In 2004, The Guardian announced plans to change to a Berliner or "midi" format.

2004: Ian Katz asserts centre-left position

In 2004, The Guardian's features editor Ian Katz asserted that "it is no secret we are a centre-left newspaper", solidifying the paper's political leaning.

July 2005: The Guardian publishes article by Hizb ut-Tahrir member

Following the 7 July 2005 London bombings, The Guardian published an article by Dilpazier Aslam, who was later revealed to be a member of Hizb ut-Tahrir. After asking Aslam to resign his membership of the group, The Guardian terminated his employment when he did not do so.

September 2005: Redesigned front page unveiled

On Friday, September 9, 2005, The Guardian unveiled its newly designed front page, which debuted on Monday, September 12, 2005, featuring a new masthead and typeface family.

September 2005: Launch of new format

On Thursday, September 1, 2005, The Guardian announced that it would launch the new format on Monday 12 September 2005.

December 2005: Circulation rise

In December 2005, The Guardian's average daily sale stood at 380,693, nearly 6 per cent higher than the figure for December 2004.

2005: Max Hastings acknowledges Guardian's influence

In 2005, Max Hastings acknowledged The Guardian's growing influence by stating, "I write for the Guardian because it is read by the new establishment."

2005: Royal Television Society Award and Amnesty International Media Award

In 2005, The Baghdad Blogger: Salam Pax won a Royal Television Society Award and GuardianFilms also received an Amnesty International Media Award.

2005: Started Podcasting

In 2005, The Guardian entered podcasting with a twelve-part weekly podcast series by Ricky Gervais.

2005: Redesign

In 2005, The Guardian had a redesign.

2005: National Newspaper of the Year and World's Best-designed Newspaper Awards

In 2005, The Guardian was awarded the National Newspaper of the Year and co-won the World's Best-designed Newspaper.

2005: MORI poll results

In 2005, a MORI poll showed that 48% of The Guardian readers were Labour voters and 34% were Liberal Democrat voters, solidifying the term "Guardian reader" to imply modern liberal, left-wing or politically correct views.

2005: Operating losses of £18.6 million reported

In 2005, the National Newspaper division of GMG reported operating losses of £18.6 million.

January 2006: Ricky Gervais' Show Topped iTunes Podcast Chart

In January 2006, Ricky Gervais' show topped the iTunes podcast chart, with two million listeners worldwide.

January 2006: The Observer changes to new format

On January 8, 2006, The Observer also changed to the new Berliner format.

2006: Côte d'Ivoire toxic waste dump scandal

In 2006, The Côte d'Ivoire toxic waste dump scandal occurred, leading to a class action case and subsequent legal battles.

2006: Best-designed newspaper award

In 2006, The Guardian, along with Polish daily Rzeczpospolita, was chosen by the US-based Society for News Design as one of the world's best-designed newspapers.

2006: Operating losses of £49.9 million reported

In 2006, the National Newspaper division of GMG reported operating losses of £49.9 million.

2006: Webby Award

In 2006, the guardian.co.uk website won the Best Newspaper category at the Webby Awards for the second consecutive year.

November 2007: Archives Available Over the Internet

In November 2007, The Guardian and The Observer made their archives available over the internet via DigitalArchive.

2007: Sales of side businesses begin

Between 2007 and 2014 The Guardian Media Group sold all their side businesses, of regional papers and online portals for classifieds, and consolidated into The Guardian as sole product.

2007: Emmy Award for Baghdad: A Doctor's Story

In 2007, Baghdad: A Doctor's Story won an Emmy Award for Best International Current Affairs film.

2007: The Bourne Ultimatum Film Depiction

In 2007, Paddy Considine played a fictional Guardian journalist in the film The Bourne Ultimatum.

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2007: Scheduled to be listed in Guinness Book of Records

In 2007, Ricky Gervais' podcast was scheduled to be listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the most downloaded podcast.

2007: Launch of Guardian Abroad

In 2007, The Guardian Weekly was linked to a website for expatriates, Guardian Abroad.

2007: World's Best-designed Newspaper Award

In 2007, The Guardian co-won the World's Best-designed Newspaper award.

2007: The Guardian launches Guardian America

In 2007, The Guardian launched Guardian America, an attempt to capitalize on its large online readership in the United States, hiring Michael Tomasky to head the project.

2007: Ranked First in Transparency Study

In 2007, The Guardian was ranked first in a transparency study of 25 mainstream English-language media vehicles, with a score of 3.8 out of 4.0.

2007: Webby Award

In 2007, the guardian.co.uk website won the Best Newspaper category at the Webby Awards for the third consecutive year.

October 2008: Scott Trust's assets transferred to The Scott Trust Limited

At the beginning of October 2008, the Scott Trust's assets were transferred to a new limited company, The Scott Trust Limited, with the intention being that the original trust would be wound up. Dame Liz Forgan reassured staff that the purposes of the new company remained the same as under the previous arrangements.

2008: Jackie Ashley describes editorial contributors

In 2008, Guardian columnist Jackie Ashley described the editorial contributors as a mix of diverse political views but acknowledged that the newspaper was "clearly left of centre and vaguely progressive".

2008: Awards for Inside the Surge and Katine Website

In 2008, Sean Smith's Inside the Surge won the Royal Television Society award for best international news film, and The Guardian's Katine website was awarded for its outstanding new media output at the One World Media awards.

2008: Transfer of Newsroom Activities to Kings Place

In 2008, The Newsroom's activities were transferred to Kings Place.

2008: Scott Trust converted into a limited company

In 2008, the Scott Trust was converted into a limited company with a constitution that maintained the protections for The Guardian, ensuring profits are reinvested in journalism.

February 2009: Tomasky steps down as editor of Guardian America

In February 2009, Michael Tomasky stepped down from his position as editor of Guardian America, retaining his position as a columnist and blogger with the title editor-at-large.

September 2009: Carter-Ruck issues gagging order on publication of report

In September 2009, Carter-Ruck issued a gagging order on the publication of a 2006 internal report into the 2006 Côte d'Ivoire toxic waste dump scandal.

October 2009: Abandonment of Guardian America Website

In October 2009, The Guardian abandoned its American version of the Guardian Unlimited website, titled Guardian America.

October 2009: The Guardian forbidden from reporting on parliamentary matter

In October 2009, The Guardian reported that it was forbidden to report on a parliamentary matter due to legal obstacles, raising questions about free speech established under the 1689 Bill of Rights.

October 2009: The company abandoned the Guardian America homepage

In October 2009, the company abandoned the Guardian America homepage, instead directing users to a US news index page on the main Guardian website.

2009: iOS Mobile Application Launch

In 2009, The Guardian launched an iOS mobile application for its content.

2009: Press contracts

In 2009, The Guardian used printing presses contracted to use the plant until 2009.

2009: Tax investigation into major UK companies

In early 2009, The Guardian started a tax investigation into a number of major UK companies, including publishing a database of the tax paid by the FTSE 100 companies. The newspaper also played a pivotal role in exposing the depth of the News of the World phone hacking affair.

March 2010: Sale of Regional Media division to Trinity Mirror

In March 2010, the National Newspaper division of Guardian Media Group sold its Regional Media division, including the Manchester Evening News, to Trinity Mirror to safeguard the future of The Guardian newspaper.

2010: Fidel Narváez starts working at Ecuadorian embassy in London

In 2010, Fidel Narváez began working at Ecuador's embassy in London, where he served as consul until July 2018.

2010: National Newspaper of the Year Award

In 2010, The Guardian was awarded the National Newspaper of the Year award by the British Press Awards.

2010: Support for the Liberal Democrats

In the run-up to the 2010 general election, The Guardian declared its support for the Liberal Democrats, particularly due to their stance on electoral reform, and suggested tactical voting to prevent a Conservative victory.

February 2011: Martin Kettle on The Guardian and Slavery

In February 2011, Martin Kettle wrote that The Guardian had always opposed slavery but doubted the Union's commitment, criticizing Lincoln's emancipation proclamation for not fully repudiating slavery.

February 2011: Closure of Talkboards

In February 2011, The Guardian closed its talkboards after settling a libel action.

March 2011: Discussion of media self-censorship

In March 2011, Assistant Editor Michael White discussed media self-censorship, noting a liberal, middle-class unease in pursuing stories about immigration, welfare fraud, or the less attractive habits of the working class.

April 2011: Fifth Most Popular Newspaper Site in the World

In April 2011, MediaWeek reported that The Guardian was the fifth most popular newspaper site in the world.

June 2011: Focus on online edition announced

In June 2011, Guardian News and Media revealed increased annual losses of £33 million and announced a focus on its online edition for news coverage, with speculation that The Guardian might become fully online.

June 2011: Controversy over Josh Treviño's tweet

In June 2011, controversy surrounded Josh Treviño's appointment as a commentator after a controversial tweet he posted about the second Gaza flotilla was revived.

September 2011: Guardian US launched

Guardian US launched in September 2011, led by editor-in-chief Janine Gibson, which replaced the previous Guardian America service.

November 2011: The Guardian addresses language used about Jews or Israel

On 6 November 2011, The Guardian's readers' editor, Chris Elliott, wrote that "Guardian reporters, writers and editors must be more vigilant about the language they use when writing about Jews or Israel", citing recent cases where The Guardian received complaints regarding language chosen to describe Jews or Israel.

2011: News International Phone-Hacking Scandal

In 2011, The Guardian broke the News International phone-hacking scandal, particularly the hacking of Milly Dowler's phone, leading to the closure of the News of the World.

2011: Android App Launch

In 2011, The Guardian followed up with an Android app.

2011: US Edition Founded

In 2011, The Guardian founded its US edition, expanding its coverage to the United States.

January 2012: Drop in circulation

In January 2012, The Guardian experienced an 11.25% drop in circulation.

June 2012: Paper lost £100,000 a day

For the three years up to June 2012, the paper lost £100,000 a day, which prompted Intelligent Life to question whether The Guardian could survive.

December 2012: Average daily circulation

In December 2012, The Guardian's certified average daily circulation was 204,222 copies.

December 2012: Circulation figures

In December 2012, the Guardian circulation dropped to 204,222.

2012: Guardian Abroad taken offline

By 2012, Guardian Abroad, the website for expatriates linked to The Guardian Weekly, had been taken offline.

2012: Controversy over calling Tel Aviv the capital of Israel

In 2012, media watchdog HonestReporting filed a complaint after The Guardian ran a correction apologizing for "wrongly" having called Jerusalem as Israel's capital. After an initial ruling supporting The Guardian, the PCC retracted its original ruling, leading to the newspaper's acknowledgement that it was wrong to call Tel Aviv Israel's capital.

March 2013: Average daily circulation falls

In March 2013, The Guardian's average daily circulation fell to 193,586, according to the Audit Bureau of Circulations.

May 2013: Most Popular UK Newspaper Website

As of May 2013, The Guardian's website was the most popular UK newspaper website, with 8.2 million unique visitors per month.

June 2013: News of secret Verizon telephone records and PRISM surveillance program

In June 2013, The Guardian broke the news about the secret collection of Verizon telephone records by Barack Obama's administration. The newspaper subsequently revealed the existence of the PRISM surveillance program after it was leaked by Edward Snowden, a former NSA contractor.

June 2013: Revelation of Verizon Telephone Records Collection and PRISM

In June 2013, The Guardian revealed the secret collection of Verizon telephone records by the Obama administration and the existence of the surveillance program PRISM, based on leaks from Edward Snowden.

July 2013: Destruction of hard drives containing Snowden information

In July 2013, agents from the UK's GCHQ supervised the destruction of hard drives containing information acquired from Edward Snowden at The Guardian's offices, under instruction from Prime Minister David Cameron and Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg, to avoid threatened legal action by the UK government.

August 2013: Launch of Thinkfluencer Webshow

In August 2013, Guardian Multimedia, in association with Arte, launched a webshow titled Thinkfluencer.

2013: Australian Edition Founded

In 2013, The Guardian established its Australian edition, further extending its international presence.

2013: The Guardian launches Australian digital edition

In 2013, The Guardian launched its Australian digital edition, expanding its international presence.

2013: National Newspaper of the Year and World's Best-designed Newspaper Awards

In 2013, The Guardian was awarded the National Newspaper of the Year award and co-won the World's Best-designed Newspaper.

2013: Manafort held secret talks with Assange in Ecuadorian embassy

In 2013, according to anonymous sources cited in a November 2018 Guardian article, Donald Trump's former campaign manager Paul Manafort allegedly held secret meetings with WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange inside the Ecuadorian embassy in London.

2013: The Fifth Estate Film Depiction

In 2013, employees of The Guardian were depicted in the film The Fifth Estate.

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2013: Support for Hugo Chávez

In a 2013 interview for NPR, The Guardian's Latin America correspondent Rory Carroll stated that many editors at The Guardian believed and continue to believe that they should support Hugo Chávez "because he was a standard-bearer for the left".

June 2014: Report on internet monitoring base in Seeb, Oman

In June 2014, The Register reported that the information the British government sought to suppress by destroying the hard drives related to the location of a "beyond top secret" internet monitoring base in Seeb, Oman, and the close involvement of BT and Cable & Wireless in intercepting internet communications.

July 2014: Capital stock of £838.3 million acquired

By July 2014, The Guardian Media Group had acquired a capital stock of £838.3 million after selling all their side businesses.

August 2014: The Guardian publishes pro-Israeli advocacy advert

On 11 August 2014, The Guardian published a pro-Israeli advocacy advert during the 2014 Israel–Gaza conflict featuring Elie Wiesel, leading to internal debate and the opinion that the newspaper should have rejected the language used in the advert.

2014: Pulitzer Prize for Public Service Reporting

In 2014, The Guardian US shared the Pulitzer Prize for public service reporting with The Washington Post for their coverage of the NSA and GCHQ electronic surveillance program based on leaks by Edward Snowden.

2014: World's Best-designed Newspaper Award

In 2014, The Guardian co-won the World's Best-designed Newspaper award.

2014: Launch of membership scheme

In 2014, The Guardian launched a membership scheme aimed at reducing financial losses without introducing a paywall.

June 2015: Lee Glendinning Appointed Head of American Operation

In June 2015, Lee Glendinning was appointed to succeed Katharine Viner as head of the American operation.

2015: Support for the Labour Party

At the 2015 United Kingdom general election, The Guardian switched its support to the Labour Party, arguing that Britain needed a new direction and that Labour spoke with more urgency on social justice, predatory capitalism, investment for growth, and strengthening the public realm.

2015: Katharine Viner Succeeds Alan Rusbridger

In 2015, Katharine Viner became the editor-in-chief of The Guardian, succeeding Alan Rusbridger.

2015: The Guardian launches International digital edition

In 2015, The Guardian launched its International digital edition, further expanding its global reach.

2015: Manafort held secret talks with Assange in Ecuadorian embassy

In 2015, according to anonymous sources cited in a November 2018 Guardian article, Donald Trump's former campaign manager Paul Manafort allegedly held secret meetings with WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange inside the Ecuadorian embassy in London.

2015: Support for Yvette Cooper

In 2015, during the Labour Party leadership election, The Guardian supported Blairite candidate Yvette Cooper and was critical of Jeremy Corbyn, the successful candidate, leading to accusations of conservatism from the Morning Star.

January 2016: Announcement of staff and cost cuts

In January 2016, The Guardian's publishers announced that The Guardian would cut 20 per cent of staff and costs within the next three years.

December 2016: Circulation decline continues

In December 2016, The Guardian's circulation continued to decline, standing at 161,091, a 2.98% year-on-year decrease.

2016: Footballer of the Year Award Began

In 2016, The Guardian began awarding an annual Footballer of the Year award to a footballer who has done something truly remarkable.

2016: Establishment of US-based philanthropic arm

In 2016, The Guardian established a US-based philanthropic arm to raise money from individuals, think tanks, and corporate foundations, with grants focused on particular issues specified by the donors.

2016: Panama Papers Investigation

In 2016, The Guardian led an investigation into the Panama Papers, revealing David Cameron's links to offshore bank accounts.

2016: Removal of Joseph Mayton articles due to fabricated information

In 2016, The Guardian removed 13 articles written by freelance journalist Joseph Mayton from its website due to fabricated information, and apologized to readers and those whose words were misrepresented.

2016: Manafort held secret talks with Assange in Ecuadorian embassy

In 2016, according to anonymous sources cited in a November 2018 Guardian article, Donald Trump's former campaign manager Paul Manafort allegedly held secret meetings with WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange inside the Ecuadorian embassy in London.

2016: Endorsement of remaining in the EU

In 2016, during the United Kingdom European Union membership referendum, The Guardian endorsed remaining in the EU.

2016: Snowden Film Depiction

In 2016, employees of The Guardian were depicted in the film Snowden.

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January 2017: Publication of WhatsApp backdoor story

On January 13, 2017, The Guardian published a story claiming that WhatsApp had a "backdoor [that] allows snooping on messages", prompting criticism from cryptographers.

June 2017: Announcement of relaunch in tabloid format

In June 2017, Guardian Media Group announced that The Guardian and The Observer would relaunch in tabloid format from early 2018.

June 2017: Amendment of WhatsApp backdoor story

On June 13, 2017, The Guardian's readers' editor released an article detailing flawed reporting in the original January article about WhatsApp, which was amended to remove references to a backdoor.

October 2017: Most Trusted Print Edition in the UK

According to a December 2018 report, The Guardian's print edition was the most trusted in the UK in the period from October 2017 to September 2018.

2017: SEAL Environmental Journalism Awards

In 2017, Damian Carrington and George Monbiot won SEAL Environmental Journalism Awards.

2017: Endorsement of the Labour Party

In the 2017 general election, despite criticizing Corbyn, The Guardian endorsed the Labour Party, though it also endorsed opposition parties in unwinnable Labour seats.

2017: Financial report indicated loss from news and media operations was £38.9 million

The Guardian Media Group's 2017 financial report indicated that the loss from news and media operations was £38.9 million.

January 2018: Launch date for new format

The Guardian confirmed the launch date for the new tabloid format to be January 15, 2018. GMG also signed a contract to outsource printing of The Guardian and The Observer.

April 2018: Increased Subscriptions

In April 2018, an assessment showed that the new format led to increased subscriptions, and editors worked on addressing reader complaints.

April 2018: Digital editions account for over 50% of group revenues

The Guardian Media Group's 2018 annual report, for the year ending 1 April 2018, indicated that its digital editions accounted for over 50% of group revenues by that time.

July 2018: Fidel Narváez leaves Ecuadorian embassy in London

In July 2018, Fidel Narváez, who had worked at Ecuador's embassy in London since 2010, left his position as consul.

July 2018: Masthead Adjusted to Dark Blue

In July 2018, The Guardian's new tabloid format's masthead was adjusted to a dark blue color.

September 2018: Trust in Digital Content

In September 2018, an Ipsos MORI poll found that The Guardian scored highest for digital-content news, with 84% of readers trusting what they saw.

November 2018: Manafort held secret talks with Assange in Ecuadorian embassy

In a November 2018 Guardian article, Luke Harding and Dan Collyns cited anonymous sources which stated that Donald Trump's former campaign manager Paul Manafort held secret meetings with WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange inside the Ecuadorian embassy in London.

November 2018: Launch of 'Today in Focus' Podcast

On November 1, 2018, The Guardian launched "Today in Focus", a daily news podcast hosted by Anushka Asthana which became one of the UK's most-downloaded podcasts.

December 2018: Most Trusted Print Edition in the UK

According to a December 2018 report, The Guardian's print edition was the most trusted in the UK from October 2017 to September 2018, and the most-read of the UK's "quality newsbrands."

2018: Membership scheme considered successful

As of 2018, The Guardian's membership scheme was considered successful, having brought more than 1 million subscriptions or donations.

2018: SEAL Environmental Journalism Awards

In 2018, Damian Carrington and Johnathan Watts won SEAL Environmental Journalism Awards.

2018: Apps and Mobile Website Redesign

In 2018, The Guardian's apps and mobile website were redesigned to coincide with its relaunch in tabloid format.

2018: Co-produced the 100 Best Female Footballers in the World

Since 2018, The Guardian has co-produced the female equivalent, The 100 Best Female Footballers in the World.

2018: Newspaper Published in Tabloid Format

Since 2018, The Guardian's main newsprint sections have been published in tabloid format.

April 2019: Hoping to break even by April 2019

As of 2018, The Guardian hoped to break even by April 2019, after launching a membership scheme in 2014.

2019: John Pilger Criticizes The Guardian

In 2019, John Pilger criticized the editor of The Guardian for betraying Sarah Tisdall in 1983 by not protecting the source of leaked documents regarding the stationing of cruise missiles in Britain.

2019: SEAL Environmental Journalism Awards

In 2019, Johnathan Watts and Fiona Harvey won SEAL Environmental Journalism Awards.

2019: Cost-Cutting Plan and Job Losses

In 2019, The Guardian implemented a cost-cutting plan, including outsourcing printing to Trinity Mirror and cutting 300 jobs, aiming to reduce losses and break even.

2019: Official Secrets Film Depiction

In 2019, employees of The Guardian were depicted in the film Official Secrets.

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2019: Group reported a profit

In the 2018-2019 financial report, the Guardian Media Group reported a profit (EBITDA) of £0.8 million before exceptional items, breaking even in 2019.

2019: Invitation to vote for pro-EU candidates

In the 2019 European election, The Guardian invited its readers to vote for pro-EU candidates without endorsing specific parties.

2019: Endorsement of the Labour Party

In the 2019 general election, The Guardian endorsed the Labour Party while Corbyn was leader, despite the critical position of the paper in general. The paper endorsed a vote for opposition parties in seats where Labour did not stand a chance.

2019: The Guardian consistently loss-making until 2019

The Guardian was consistently loss-making until 2019.

March 2020: Ban on fossil fuel funding

As of March 2020, The Guardian became the first major global news organization to institute an outright ban on taking money from companies that extract fossil fuels.

July 2020: Closure of Guardian Soulmates

On July 1, 2020, Guardian Soulmates was closed down due to the changed landscape of online dating.

2020: SEAL Environmental Journalism Award

In 2020, Fiona Harvey won a SEAL Environmental Journalism Award.

2020: Accusations of racism and misogyny over Priti Patel cartoon

In 2020, The Guardian faced accusations of being "racist and misogynistic" after publishing a cartoon depicting Home Secretary Priti Patel as a cow with a ring in its nose, in an alleged reference to her Hindu faith.

January 2021: La Lista Web portal starts publishing content from The Guardian

In January 2021, the Mexican La Lista Web portal began publishing content from The Guardian, translated into Spanish, on a three-year license.

July 2021: Decline in Online Readers

By July 2021, The Guardian experienced a drastic drop in the number of online readers.

July 2021: Circulation

In July 2021, the circulation of The Guardian was 105,134 copies, after which the publishers stopped making circulation data public.

July 2021: Print Edition Circulation

As of July 2021, The Guardian's print edition had a daily circulation of 105,134.

May 2022: .onion Version of Website Launched on Tor Network

In May 2022, The Guardian launched an .onion version of its website on the Tor network, assisted by Alec Muffett.

December 2022: Cyber-attack on The Guardian's office systems

In December 2022, The Guardian experienced a significant cyber-attack on its office systems, suspected to be ransomware, causing staff to work from home and affecting some internal systems.

2022: SEAL Environmental Journalism Award

In 2022, Richa Syal won a SEAL Environmental Journalism Award.

January 2023: Security breach notification and staff working from home

On January 4, 2023, UK staff at The Guardian were informed of a security breach and that the Information Commissioner's Office had been notified. It was indicated that staff would continue working from home until at least January 23. The newspaper confirmed on January 11 that personal details of all UK staff had been accessed by criminals.

March 2023: Links to Atlantic Slave Trade

In March 2023, an academic review found that John Edward Taylor and nine of his eleven backers had links to the Atlantic slave trade through their interests in Manchester's textile industry.

September 2023: The Guardian launches European digital edition

In September 2023, The Guardian launched a European digital edition, aiming to be "even more European in its perspective, not less" after Brexit.

October 2023: The Guardian does not renew contract of cartoonist Steve Bell

In October 2023, The Guardian stated it would not renew the contract of cartoonist Steve Bell after he submitted a cartoon featuring Netanyahu that prompted accusations of antisemitism.

November 2023: The Guardian joins 'Cyprus Confidential' report

In November 2023, The Guardian partnered with the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, Paper Trail Media and 69 media partners to produce the 'Cyprus Confidential' report on the financial network supporting Vladimir Putin's regime.

2023: "Newspaper of the Year" at British Press Awards

The Guardian was named "newspaper of the year" at the annual British Press Awards in 2023.

September 2024: Talks to sell The Observer to Tortoise Media

In September 2024, The Guardian revealed it was in talks to sell The Observer to news website Tortoise Media, leading to condemnation and a vote of no confidence from journalists at Guardian Media Group.

November 2024: The Guardian to no longer post content on X

On 13 November 2024, The Guardian announced that it would no longer post content on X (formerly Twitter), citing misinformation, far-right conspiracy theories and racism on the platform, especially during the latest election.

December 2024: Guardian Media and Tortoise Media closed the sale

On 18 December 2024, Guardian Media and Tortoise Media closed the sale of The Observer.

December 2024: Observer deal with Tortoise agreed in principle

On 6 December 2024, it was announced that, despite 48 hours of strikes by journalists, the Observer deal with Tortoise Media was agreed in principle and would proceed, with the Trust taking a significant stock position in the purchaser.

April 2025: New Observer website and print edition launched under Tortoise

In April 2025, a new Observer website was launched on 25 April, and the first print edition under Tortoise Media appeared on 27 April.

April 2025: The Observer Sold to Tortoise Media

The Observer was sold to Tortoise Media, effective from April 2025.

2025: The Observer no longer Sunday Sister Paper

From 1993 to 2025, The Observer served as The Guardian's Sunday sister paper.

2025: Implementation of Secure Messaging feature

In 2025, The Guardian and the University of Cambridge collaboratively implemented a Secure Messaging feature in the Guardian's mobile app to allow secure communication with journalistic sources, hiding both the content and existence of the messaging from investigators, using the Apache License 2.0 for the source code.