History of The Onion in Timeline
The Onion is a satirical news organization that started as a weekly print publication in 1988 before transitioning to a digital format in 1996. Known for its humorous and often absurd take on current events, it expanded into audio and video content with the Onion News Network in 2007. The print edition ceased in 2013, coinciding with the launch of Onion Labs, an advertising agency. The company has been acquired multiple times, first by Univision in 2016, then by Great Hill Partners as part of G/O Media in 2019, and most recently by Global Tetrahedron led by Jeff Lawson in 2024, which also marked the revival of the print edition.
August 29, 1988: The Onion Founded
On August 29, 1988, The Onion was founded as a weekly print publication in Madison, Wisconsin.
1988: The Onion Print Edition Created
In 1988, The Onion launched its print edition, which was distributed for free in various cities across the United States and Canada and available via paid mail order subscription to subscribers around the world.
1988: The Onion Founded
In 1988, The Onion was founded by Tim Keck and Christopher Johnson as a weekly print newspaper for satirical news in Madison, Wisconsin.
1989: The Onion Sold
In 1989, Keck and Johnson sold The Onion to Scott Dikkers, Peter Haise, and Jonathan Hart Eddy for $16,000.
June 16, 1993: Dikkers Profiled in The Daily Iowan
On June 16, 1993, The Daily Iowan ran a profile of Scott Dikkers, mentioning his role as co-owner of The Onion.
1993: Ben Karlin Joins The Onion
In 1993, Ben Karlin became a writer/editor for The Onion after graduating from the University of Wisconsin.
1993: The A.V. Club Founded
In 1993, The A.V. Club, a non-satirical entertainment and pop culture publication, was founded by The Onion.
1995: Denver Franchise Rights Sold
In 1995, Dave and Jeff Haupt acquired rights to The Onion name in Denver, Colorado, for 10 years, paying a $25,000 licensing fee and weekly content licensing fees.
1996: Onion Segments on The Dana Carvey Show
In 1996, Ben Karlin and Scott Dikkers collaborated with Robert Smigel and Dana Carvey to create short Onion news segments for The Dana Carvey Show, though only one segment aired.
1996: The Onion Goes Online
In 1996, The Onion started publishing its content online, expanding its reach beyond the print edition.
1996: "Clinton Deploys Vowels to Bosnia" Article Goes Viral
In 1996, the Onion article titled "Clinton Deploys Vowels to Bosnia" was widely disseminated online, leading to the creation of The Onion's official website to claim credit for the content.
1996: Deadline: Now Pilot Created
In the fall of 1996, Ben Karlin and other former Onion staff members moved to Los Angeles and created a pilot for a news parody titled Deadline: Now for the Fox Network.
1996: Threat of Lawsuit from Janet Jackson
Sometime after The Onion appeared online in 1996, the publication was threatened with a lawsuit from Janet Jackson because of the article "Dying Boy Gets Wish: To Pork Janet Jackson".
1997: Deadline: Now Pilot Completed
In 1997, the 15-minute pilot for Deadline: Now was completed, but it was never picked up as a series. This led to writing work for Karlin and other Onion staffers, including for Space Ghost Coast to Coast.
January 27, 1998: Virtual Bill Premieres on MTV
On January 27, 1998, MTV premiered Virtual Bill, a collaboration between writers of The Onion and 3-D character studio Protozoa. The titular Virtual Bill character introduced music videos and told jokes written by the staff of The Onion.
December 17, 1998: Virtual Bill Returns to MTV
On December 17, 1998, Virtual Bill returned to MTV with another TV special and an interactive web special produced by Pulse.
January 1999: Karlin Becomes Head Writer of The Daily Show
In January 1999, Jon Stewart tapped former Onion writer/editor Ben Karlin to be head writer of the newly restructured The Daily Show.
March 18, 1999: Webby Award Win
On March 18, 1999, The Onion's website won its first Webby Award in the category of "Humor".
March 23, 1999: Our Dumb Century Released
On March 23, 1999, The Onion's first fully original book, Our Dumb Century, was released. It featured mocked-up newspaper front pages from the entire 20th century.
1999: The Onion at U.S. Comedy Arts Festival
From March 3–7, 1999, writers and editors of The Onion attended the U.S. Comedy Arts Festival in Aspen, Colorado, to promote Our Dumb Century and were met with praise from comedians and artists.
1999: Dikkers' First Tenure as Editor Ends
In 1999, Scott Dikkers' first tenure as The Onion's editor-in-chief came to an end. He served as editor-in-chief from 1988 to 1999.
1999: Launch of The Onion Radio News
In 1999, The Onion launched The Onion Radio News, an audio podcast/radio show.
1999: Publication of Our Dumb Century
In 1999, The Onion published "Our Dumb Century", which was the first of several books to compile existing material into collected volumes.
1999: Bob Odenkirk Praises The Onion
In 1999, comedian Bob Odenkirk praised The Onion as "the best comedy writing in the country".
April 2000: DreamWorks Options Onion Stories
In April 2000, DreamWorks Studios optioned two stories from The Onion, "Canadian Girlfriend Unsubstantiated" and "Tenth Circle Added to Rapidly Growing Hell," planning to produce the latter as a family comedy.
June 2000: "The State of The Onion" Panel Discussion
In June 2000, writers and editors of The Onion participated in a Comedy Central panel discussion moderated by Jeff Greenfield titled "The State of The Onion" during the "Toyota Comedy Festival 2000".
July 2000: Robert Siegel Named One of People Magazine's Most Eligible Bachelors
In July 2000, The Onion's editor Robert Siegel was named one of People magazine's most eligible bachelors.
2000: Relocation of Editorial Offices
Beginning in the fall of 2000, The Onion relocated its editorial offices from Madison, Wisconsin, to Manhattan, New York City.
2000: The Onion Moves from Madison to New York City
In 2000, The Onion relocated from Madison to New York City.
February 2001: First-Look Agreement with Miramax Films
In February 2001, Miramax Films announced a first-look agreement to develop scripts and features with The Onion.
July 2001: The Onion's Sale in the Works
In July 2001, the sale of The Onion to David Schafer from owners Peter Haise and Scott Dikkers was in the works.
September 27, 2001: The Onion Debuts New York City Print Edition Focused on September 11 Attacks
On September 27, 2001, The Onion launched its New York City print edition with an issue centered on the September 11 attacks. The issue's popularity and critical acclaim led to a near doubling of The Onion's website traffic in the weeks following the attacks.
2001: Relocation of Editorial Offices
The Onion completed the relocation of its editorial offices from Madison, Wisconsin, to Manhattan, New York City, in early 2001.
November 2002: The Onion Removes Michael Bay Op-Ed Piece
In November 2002, The Onion removed a humorous op-ed piece satirically bylined by filmmaker Michael Bay titled "Those Chechen Rebels Stole My Idea" from its site without explanation, leading to speculation about the reasons behind the removal.
2002: Rob Siegel Discusses Online Readership
In 2002, then-editor in chief Rob Siegel discussed the online readership of The Onion, noting it included Microsoft, Dell Computers, the Department of Justice, and students.
2003: The Onion Purchased by David Schafer
In 2003, David Schafer purchased The Onion from Peter Haise and Scott Dikkers. Also in 2003, editor Robert Siegel left his full-time role at The Onion, and Carol Kolb took over as editor of the publication.
2003: The Onion Movie Created
In 2003, The Onion Movie, originally called The Untitled Onion Movie, was created, with Fox Searchlight Pictures initially set to release it. However, the directors and writer eventually left the project.
2004: Steve Hannah becomes CEO
In 2004, Steve Hannah became the CEO of The Onion.
September 2005: Cease-and-Desist Letter from George W. Bush Administration
In September 2005, Grant M. Dixton, the assistant counsel to President George W. Bush, sent a cease-and-desist letter to The Onion, requesting that the publication stop using the presidential seal in an online parody of Bush.
2005: Dikkers Returns as Editor
In 2005, Scott Dikkers returned to The Onion as editor-in-chief.
2005: The Onion Moves New York City Offices
In 2005, The Onion relocated its New York City offices from Chelsea to downtown Broadway in Manhattan's SoHo neighborhood.
June 2006: Siegel Tapped to Write Screenplay and The Onion Launches YouTube Channel
In June 2006, Robert Siegel was tapped by Miramax Films to write the screenplay for a comedy titled "Homeland Insecurity." The Onion also launched a YouTube channel in 2006 that parodies American television news programs.
July 2006: Rumors of The Onion Sale to Viacom Appear
In July 2006, rumors of a possible sale of The Onion to media conglomerate Viacom surfaced in news outlets.
2006: Joe Randazzo Becomes Writer for The Onion
In 2006, Joe Randazzo became a writer for The Onion.
2006: New Regency Productions Takes Over The Onion Movie
In 2006, New Regency Productions took over the production of The Onion Movie.
April 2007: The Onion Launches Onion News Network
In April 2007, The Onion launched Onion News Network, a daily web video broadcast, with a story about an illegal immigrant. The publication invested around $1 million in production and hired 15 new staffers.
November 2007: Onion News Network Deemed a 'Huge Hit'
In November 2007, former Onion President Mills said in a Wikinews interview that the Onion News Network had been a huge hit. He stated that it was receiving over a million downloads a week.
2007: Satirical News Audio and Video Launched
In 2007, The Onion began publishing satirical news audio and video online as the Onion News Network.
2007: Publication of Our Dumb World
In 2007, The Onion published "Our Dumb World", which was one of the only fully original books content-wise, outside of compilations.
2007: Sean Mills Interview on The Onion's Name Origin
In a 2007 interview with Wikinews, former President Sean Mills discussed the origin of The Onion's name, attributing it to an uncle's suggestion after seeing the founders eating an onion sandwich.
June 3, 2008: The Onion Movie Released
On June 3, 2008, after being in limbo for two years, The Onion Movie was released directly on DVD. It was directed under the pseudonym of James Kleiner but still directed by Kuntz and Maguire.
2008: Carol Kolb Becomes Head Writer of Onion News Network and Joe Randazzo Becomes Editor
In 2008, Carol Kolb became the head writer of the Onion News Network, while Joe Randazzo took over as the publication's editor.
2008: Dikkers' Second Tenure as Editor Ends
In 2008, Scott Dikkers' second tenure as The Onion's editor-in-chief came to an end. He served as editor-in-chief from 2005 to 2008.
2008: Onion Digital Studios Created
In 2008, The Onion launched a series of YouTube videos produced by its 'Onion Digital Studios' division, funded in part by a grant from YouTube and exclusive to the site.
2008: The Onion Wins Peabody Award
In 2008, The Onion was awarded a Peabody Award.
February 3, 2009: The Onion Launches Onion Sports Network
On February 3, 2009, The Onion launched a spin-off of the Onion News Network called the Onion Sports Network.
April 2009: The Onion Awarded 2008 Peabody Award
In April 2009, The Onion was awarded a 2008 Peabody Award for its "...ersatz news that has a worrisome ring of truth."
July 2009: Rumors of The Onion Sale Surface
In July 2009, various news outlets reported rumors of an impending sale of The Onion.
July 20, 2009: Fictional Sale of The Onion to Chinese Company
On July 20, 2009, The Onion revealed the rumored sale to be fictional, with Publisher Emeritus T. Herman Zweibel stating he'd sold the publication to a Chinese company—Yu Wan Mei Corporation.
July 22, 2009: The Onion Clarifies Fictional Sale on NPR
On July 22, 2009, The Onion's editor, Joe Randazzo, clarified on National Public Radio's All Things Considered that the publication was still an independent American company.
November 2009: The Onion Releases "Our Front Pages: 21 Years of Greatness, Virtue, and Moral Rectitude From America's Finest News Source"
In November 2009, The Onion released "Our Front Pages: 21 Years of Greatness, Virtue, and Moral Rectitude From America's Finest News Source", compiling front pages from the publication's history.
2009: End of The Onion Radio News
In 2009, The Onion Radio News ceased production.
January 2011: The Onion Launches Two TV Shows
In January 2011, The Onion launched two TV shows on cable networks: Onion SportsDome which premiered January 11 on Comedy Central, and the Onion News Network which premiered January 21 on Independent Film Channel (IFC).
March 2011: IFC Renews Onion News Network
In March 2011, IFC officially announced the renewal of the Onion News Network for a second season.
June 2011: Emily Guendelsberger Incident
In June 2011, A.V. Club Philadelphia city editor Emily Guendelsberger was the victim of an attack, and her job did not provide health insurance to cover hospital bills.
June 2011: Comedy Central Cancels Onion SportsDome
In June 2011, Comedy Central officially announced the cancellation of Onion SportsDome.
August 2011: The Onion Tests Paywall Model
In August 2011, The Onion's website began testing a paywall model, requiring a monthly or annual charge from non-U.S. visitors to read more than five stories within 30 days.
August 2011: Onion News Network Writers Unionize
In August 2011, the Writers Guild of America, East, AFL–CIO, announced the unionization of the Onion News Network writing staff, preventing a potential strike over pay and benefits.
September 2011: The Onion Announces Editorial Move to Chicago
In September 2011, it was announced that The Onion would move its entire editorial operation to Chicago by the summer of 2012.
September 27, 2011: Joe Randazzo Announces Departure
On September 27, 2011, editor Joe Randazzo announced that he would not be joining the staff in Chicago after the move in 2012.
March 2012: Cole Bolton Named Editor-in-Chief of The Onion
In March 2012, Cole Bolton was named the new editor-in-chief of The Onion.
March 2012: IFC Cancels Onion News Network
In March 2012, IFC officially announced the cancellation of the Onion News Network.
March 2012: Insight into Internal Issues Surrounding Chicago Move
In March 2012, articles in The Atlantic Wire and New York magazine's Daily Intelligencer explored the internal issues surrounding the Chicago move. Founding editor Scott Dikkers also returned to the publication.
August 2012: Former The Onion Writers Team Up with Adult Swim for Thing X
In August 2012, a group of former The Onion writers partnered with Adult Swim to create comedy content on a website called Thing X.
2012: The Onion's Editorial Operation Moves to Chicago
By the summer of 2012, The Onion completed the move of its entire editorial operation to Chicago.
2012: Publication of The Onion Book of Known Knowledge
In 2012, The Onion published "The Onion Book of Known Knowledge", which was one of the only fully original books content-wise, outside of compilations.
February 2013: The Onion Added to Advertising Age's "Digital A-List 2013"
In February 2013 The Onion was added to Advertising Age's "Digital A-List 2013" due to its success since the move to Chicago.
June 2013: Thing X Shutting Down
In June 2013, it was announced that Thing X would be shutting down.
June 18, 2013: Thing X Staff Moves to Adultswim.com
On June 18, 2013, some staff from Thing X moved over to parent website adultswim.com.
November 2013: The Onion Announces All-Digital Format
In November 2013, The Onion announced in Crain's Chicago Business that it would move to an all-digital format by December 2013, citing a 30% year-over-year growth in page views.
December 13, 2013: Final Print Edition of The Onion Published
On December 13, 2013, The Onion published its final print edition.
December 2013: The Onion Ceases Print Publication
In December 2013, The Onion ceased its print edition, which had been running for 25 years since 1988. At the time of its closure, the print edition was only available in Chicago, Milwaukee, and Providence.
December 2013: The Onion Moves to All-Digital Format
In December 2013, The Onion moved to an all-digital format.
2013: Michael Cohen Claims Defamation
In 2013, The Onion received an email from Michael Cohen claiming that an article published about Donald Trump was defamation, demanding its removal and an apology.
2013: Print Edition Ceased, Onion Labs Launched
In 2013, The Onion stopped publishing its print edition and launched Onion Labs, an advertising agency.
June 2014: The Onion Launches ClickHole
In June 2014, The Onion launched the spinoff website ClickHole, a parody of clickbait websites.
November 2014: The Onion Hires Financial Advisor for Possible Sale
In November 2014, Bloomberg News reported that The Onion had hired a financial advisor for a possible sale. CEO Steve Hannah addressed the rumors in a memo.
2014: ClickHole Founded
In 2014, ClickHole, a satirical website parodying clickbait, was founded by The Onion.
2014: Cole Bolton Interview with Comedy Publication Splitsider
In 2014, Cole Bolton gave an interview with comedy publication Splitsider.
2014: Lawsuit Filed Regarding The Onion Movie Credit
In the spring of 2014, Peter Haise, former president, publisher, and CEO of The Onion, filed a lawsuit in Palm Beach County court against David K. Schafer, the publication's current chairman, over a missing "Executive Producer" credit on The Onion Movie.
June 2015: Steve Hannah Steps Down as CEO, Mike McAvoy Takes Over
In June 2015, Steve Hannah stepped down as CEO of The Onion, and Mike McAvoy took over the position.
September 21, 2015: StarWipe Launched
On September 21, 2015, StarWipe, a spinoff sister site of The A.V. Club, was launched.
October 2015: The Onion Announces Restructuring and Layoffs
In October 2015, CEO Mike McAvoy announced a restructuring of The Onion, including layoffs and management changes.
January 2016: Univision Communications Purchases Stake in The Onion
In January 2016, Univision Communications purchased a 40% stake in Onion, Inc., bringing The Onion into the Fusion Media Group.
2016: Acquisition by Univision
In 2016, The Onion was acquired by Univision, which later merged it with other publications into Gizmodo Media Group.
January 2017: The Onion Partners with Lionsgate Films and Serious Business to Develop Film Projects
In January 2017, The Onion partnered with Lionsgate Films and production company Serious Business to develop multiple film projects.
June 16, 2017: Onion Article on The Big Show Sparks Controversy
On June 16, 2017, The Onion published an article about professional wrestler The Big Show being killed by WWE, leading to criticism for satirizing the death of a person. Some readers believed the fictional report.
September 2017: Cole Bolton and Ben Berkley Step Down, Chad Nackers Takes Over
In September 2017, The Onion's editor-in-chief Cole Bolton and executive editor Ben Berkley stepped down from their posts, and Chad Nackers became editor-in-chief.
2017: Onion Article Mocks Trump's Handling of Middle East Conflict
In 2017, The Onion published an article satirizing President Donald Trump's idealistic view of Jared Kushner's ability to bring peace to the Middle East, with the article suggesting that the task was too large for Kushner to achieve within a single office week.
February 5, 2018: The Onion Publishes A Very Fatal Murder Podcast
On February 5, 2018, The Onion released its first podcast, "A Very Fatal Murder", which parodies true crime podcasts.
April 2018: The Onion Employees Unionize
In April 2018, the employees of The Onion unionized with The Writers Guild Of America, East.
July 2018: Rumors of Layoffs at The Onion
In July 2018, rumors circulated about potential layoffs at The Onion, Clickhole, and The A.V. Club, with corporate parent Univision Communications considering reducing The Onion's staff by approximately 15%. This occurred amidst news of a potential sale of The Onion, related websites, and Gizmodo Media Group assets.
December 20, 2018: Union Contract Agreement Reached
On December 20, 2018, the union reached a contract agreement with management.
April 8, 2019: Great Hill Partners Acquires The Onion
On April 8, 2019, Great Hill Partners, a private equity firm, acquired Gizmodo Media Group from Univision for an undisclosed amount, including The Onion, The A.V. Club, and Clickhole. These properties were then consolidated into a new company named G/O Media Inc.
May 2019: Joe Garden Regrets Onion's Joe Biden Caricature
In May 2019, Joe Garden, a former Onion editor, expressed regret in an op-ed for the Onion's long-running caricature of Joe Biden, stating that it may have distracted from serious concerns about Biden's political record and personal behavior.
2019: Sale to Great Hill Partners
In 2019, Gizmodo Media Group sold The Onion to Great Hill Partners, forming a new company named G/O Media.
January 16, 2020: The Onion Launches The Topical Podcast
On January 16, 2020, The Onion, in partnership with Sony Music, expanded its podcast offerings by launching The Topical, a satirical news podcast that parodies NPR drive-time news broadcasts and The Daily by the New York Times.
February 2020: ClickHole Acquired by Cards Against Humanity
In February 2020, ClickHole was acquired by Cards Against Humanity.
May 20, 2021: The Topical Podcast Ends
On May 20, 2021, The Topical podcast aired its final episode.
2021: Cole Bolton Debunks Onion Sandwich Theory
During a 2021 event at the University of Chicago, then editor-in-chief Cole Bolton called the onion sandwich story "the dumbest explanation" for the origin of The Onion's name, suggesting it was more likely a mocking reference to a campus newsletter called The Union.
October 3, 2022: The Onion Files Amicus Brief with Supreme Court
On October 3, 2022, The Onion filed its first amicus curiae brief with the Supreme Court of the United States in the case of Novak v. City of Parma, supporting the certiorari petition of Anthony Novak. The brief contained many jokes and was meant to support parody.
2022: Chad Nackers Current Editor of The Onion
In 2022, Chad Nackers was the current editor of The Onion.
March 2024: G/O Media Sells The A.V. Club, Seeks Buyer for The Onion
In March 2024, G/O Media sold The A.V. Club to Paste Magazine. Additionally, it was reported that G/O Media was looking for potential buyers for The Onion.
March 2024: The A.V. Club Acquired by Paste Magazine
In March 2024, The A.V. Club was acquired by Paste Magazine.
April 2024: The Onion Sold to Global Tetrahedron
In April 2024, G/O Media sold The Onion to Global Tetrahedron, a firm created by Jeff Lawson.
April 25, 2024: The Onion Sold to Global Tetrahedron
On April 25, 2024, G/O Media CEO Jim Spanfeller announced that The Onion had been sold to Global Tetrahedron, a Chicago-based firm owned by Twilio founder Jeff Lawson. Ben Collins, a former NBC reporter, was appointed as CEO. The new owners agreed to retain the website's staff and maintain its Chicago base as part of the deal.
August 2024: The Onion Announces Return of Print Edition
In August 2024, The Onion's new owners announced the return of a monthly print edition to be delivered to subscribers by mail.
November 14, 2024: Global Tetrahedron Attempts to Purchase InfoWars
On November 14, 2024, Global Tetrahedron, the parent company of The Onion, participated in a bankruptcy auction with the intention of acquiring InfoWars, a far-right website founded by Alex Jones. The goal was to transform the site into a parody of Jones's conspiracy theories, with the approval of families of Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting victims. However, the purchase was initially halted, and on December 10, a bankruptcy judge rejected the sale due to flaws in the bidding process.
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