History of The Washington Post in Timeline

The Washington Post is a prominent American daily newspaper based in Washington, D.C., recognized as a newspaper of record in the United States. It holds the largest circulation in the Washington metropolitan area. By 2023, it ranked third among American newspapers with 130,000 print and 2.5 million digital subscribers, following The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal. In 2025, the print subscriptions decreased dropping below 100,000 for the first time in 55 years.

1902: Drawing the Line in Mississippi Cartoon

In 1902, Clifford K. Berryman published the "Drawing the Line in Mississippi" cartoon in The Washington Post, which inspired the creation of the teddy bear.

1903: Wilkins' Death

After Wilkins died in 1903, his sons John and Robert ran The Washington Post.

1905: Sale to John Roll McLean

In 1905, John and Robert sold The Washington Post to John Roll McLean, owner of the Cincinnati Enquirer.

1912: Death of Stilson Hutchins

Stilson Hutchins, the founder of The Washington Post, died in 1912.

1916: McLean's Death

When McLean died in 1916, he put the newspaper in a trust due to his lack of faith in his son Edward "Ned" McLean's ability to manage it.

1919: Red Summer

During the Red Summer of 1919, The Washington Post supported the white mobs.

1929: Meyer's Offer

In 1929, financier Eugene Meyer secretly made an offer of $5 million for The Washington Post, but was rebuffed.

1930: Meyer appointed as Chairman of the Federal Reserve

In 1930, Eugene Meyer was appointed Chairman of the Federal Reserve by Herbert Hoover.

June 1, 1933: Meyer Buys The Post

On June 1, 1933, Eugene Meyer bought The Washington Post at a bankruptcy auction for $825,000.

1933: Meyer buys the Post

In 1933, Eugene Meyer bought the bankrupt Washington Post and assured the public that neither he nor the newspaper would be beholden to any political party.

1933: Eugene Meyer Purchases The Post

In 1933, financier Eugene Meyer purchased The Washington Post out of bankruptcy and revived its health and reputation.

1939: Merger Forming Times-Herald

In 1939, the Washington Times and the Herald merged to form the Times-Herald.

1946: Meyer Appointed Head of World Bank

In 1946, Eugene Meyer was appointed head of World Bank, and he named his son-in-law Phil Graham to succeed him as Post publisher.

1946: Philip Graham Succeeds Meyer

In 1946, Philip Graham succeeded Eugene Meyer as publisher of The Washington Post.

1947: Column Running

Since 1947, "John Kelly's Washington" column about local history and sights had been running under different bylines, before being closed down in 2023.

1950: Term "McCarthyism" Coined

In 1950, The Washington Post is credited with coining the term "McCarthyism" in an editorial cartoon by Herbert Block.

1950: Newspaper Move

In 1950, The Washington Post moved to a building at 14th and E streets NW.

1954: Merger with Times-Herald

In 1954, the Washington Post bought and merged with the Times-Herald.

1963: Graham's Death

After Philip Graham died in 1963, control of The Washington Post Company passed to his wife, Katharine Graham.

1963: Friendship Until Death

Phil Graham's friendship with John F. Kennedy remained strong until they died in 1963.

1968: Bradlee became the editor-in-chief

In 1968, Ben Bradlee became the editor-in-chief.

1969: Graham Becomes Publisher

In 1969, Katharine Graham became the publisher of The Washington Post.

June 15, 1971: Company Goes Public

On June 15, 1971, The Washington Post Company went public, offering 1,294,000 shares at $26 per share.

1971: Printing of the Pentagon Papers

In 1971, The Washington Post's printing of the Pentagon Papers helped spur opposition to the Vietnam War.

1971: Pentagon Papers Published

The Washington Post strengthened public opposition to the Vietnam War in 1971 when it published the Pentagon Papers.

1972: Book World Section Introduced

In 1972, The Washington Post introduced the "Book World" section with William McPherson as its first editor.

1972: Watergate Burglary

In 1972, reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein investigated the burglary of Democratic National Committee offices in the Watergate complex.

1972: Competitors Merger

In 1972, the Washington Star (Evening Star) and The Washington Daily News merged, forming the Washington Star-News.

1973: Pulitzer Prize

In 1973, The Washington Post won a Pulitzer Prize for its coverage of the Watergate scandal.

1974: Watergate Scandal and Nixon's Resignation

In 1974, reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein led the investigation into the break-in at the Democratic National Committee, which developed into the Watergate scandal and the resignation of President Richard Nixon.

1975: Washington Post pressmen's union went on strike

In 1975, the Washington Post pressmen's union went on strike, and The Post hired replacement workers.

February 1976: Other unions returned to work

In February 1976, other unions returned to work after The Washington Post hired replacement workers during the pressmen's union strike.

1976: Endorsement

Since it endorsed Jimmy Carter in 1976, the Post has endorsed Democrats in presidential elections.

1979: Donald E. Graham Publisher

In 1979, Donald E. Graham succeeded Katharine Graham as a publisher.

1979: Graham Steps Down as Publisher

In 1979, Katharine Graham stepped down as publisher of The Washington Post.

September 1980: "Jimmy's World" published

In September 1980, The Washington Post published a front-page feature story titled "Jimmy's World" by reporter Janet Cooke, profiling an eight-year-old heroin addict.

April 13, 1981: Janet Cooke awarded Pulitzer Prize for Feature Writing

On April 13, 1981, Janet Cooke was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Feature Writing for her story "Jimmy's World".

1984: Purchase of Kaplan, Inc.

In 1984, The Washington Post company purchased Kaplan, Inc., a for-profit education and training company, for $40 million.

1986: Employees sued the Post for overtime pay

In 1986, five employees sued The Washington Post for overtime pay, stating that the newspaper claimed that budgets did not allow for overtime wages.

1988: First time since the 1988 presidential election that the paper did not endorse the Democratic candidate.

In 2024, it was the first time since the 1988 presidential election that the paper did not endorse the Democratic candidate.

1988: Declined To Endorse

In the 1988 presidential election, the Post declined to endorse either Governor Michael Dukakis or Vice President George H. W. Bush.

1990: Endorsement of John Warner

In 1990, The Washington Post editorial board endorsed Virginia's Republican U.S. Senator John Warner in his Senate reelection campaign.

1991: End of Graham's Tenure

By the end of Katharine Graham's tenure as CEO in 1991, the stock was worth $888 per share.

1995: Domain Purchase

In 1995, the domain name washingtonpost.com was purchased.

June 1996: Website Launch

In June 1996, The Washington Post launched its first website.

1996: Endorsement of John Warner

In 1996, The Washington Post editorial board endorsed Virginia's Republican U.S. Senator John Warner in his Senate reelection campaign.

2002: Endorsement of John Warner

In 2002, The Washington Post editorial board endorsed Virginia's Republican U.S. Senator John Warner in his Senate reelection campaign.

2003: Mention of Kobe Bryant Rape Allegation

In 2020, reporter Felicia Sonmez posted a series of tweets about the 2003 rape allegation against basketball star Kobe Bryant after Bryant's death.

2006: Endorsement of Robert Ehrlich

In 2006, The Washington Post endorsed Maryland Governor Robert Ehrlich's unsuccessful bid for a second term. The paper also repeated its historic endorsements of every Republican incumbent for Congress in Northern Virginia during 2006.

March 23, 2007: Matthews Comments on Newspaper

On March 23, 2007, Chris Matthews said on his television program, "The Washington Post is not the liberal newspaper it was [...] I have been reading it for years and it is a neocon newspaper".

2008: Endorsement

In 2008, The Washington Post editorial board endorsed Barack Obama.

2008: Election Coverage Criticism

In 2008, The Washington Post faced criticism of its coverage during the run-up to the presidential election.

February 15, 2009: Discontinuation of Book World

On February 15, 2009, The Washington Post Book World was discontinued as a standalone insert.

July 2009: Exclusive dinner parties planned

In July 2009, Politico reported that a health-care lobbyist had received an "astonishing" offer of access to the Post's "health-care reporting and editorial staff". Publisher Katharine Weymouth had planned exclusive dinner parties for prominent individuals with a high sponsorship fee.

2009: Oxford University Press

According to a 2009 Oxford University Press book by Richard Davis, liberal bloggers link to The Washington Post and The New York Times more often than other major newspapers.

2009: Cessation of National Weekly Edition

In 2009, The Washington Post ceased publication of its National Weekly Edition due to shrinking circulation.

2009: Closure of U.S. Regional Bureaus

In 2009, The Washington Post closed three U.S. regional bureaus in Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York City.

2010: Kaplan's Revenue

By 2010, Kaplan accounted for more than 60% of The Washington Post Company's entire revenue stream.

2011: Washington Post includes China Watch advertising supplements

In 2011, The Washington Post began including "China Watch" advertising supplements provided by China Daily.

2011: "The Fact Checker" column launched

Since 2011, The Washington Post has been running a column called "The Fact Checker" that the Post describes as a "truth squad".

June 2012: The 40th Anniversary of Watergate

In June 2012, Washington Post Live organized "The 40th Anniversary of Watergate" at the Watergate hotel, featuring key Watergate figures.

2012: Endorsement

In 2012, The Washington Post editorial board endorsed Barack Obama.

August 2013: Purchase by Jeff Bezos

In August 2013, Jeff Bezos purchased The Washington Post and other local publications for US$250 million, transferring ownership to Nash Holdings LLC.

October 2013: Sale to Nash Holdings

In October 2013, the Graham family sold The Washington Post to Nash Holdings, a holding company owned by Jeff Bezos, for US$250 million.

November 2013: Sale of Real Estate by Graham Holdings

In November 2013, Graham Holdings sold 1150 15th Street, along with other properties, for $159 million.

May 2014: Lease at One Franklin Square

In May 2014, The Washington Post leased the west tower of One Franklin Square at 1301 K Street NW in Washington, D.C.

2014: Controversial Column on Campus Sexual Assault

In 2014, George Will wrote a controversial column on campus sexual assault that prompted criticism.

2014: Launch of Online Sections

Since 2014, The Washington Post has launched an online personal finance section, a blog, and a podcast with a retro theme.

2015: Move to One Franklin Square

In 2015, The Washington Post moved to a leased space at One Franklin Square on K Street.

September 2016: Criticism for Demanding Snowden Stand Trial

In mid-September 2016, The Washington Post was criticized for "demanding that [former National Security Agency contractor Edward] Snowden ... stand trial on espionage charges".

2016: Endorsement

In 2016, The Washington Post editorial board endorsed Hillary Clinton.

February 2017: New Slogan Adopted

In February 2017, The Washington Post adopted the slogan "Democracy Dies in Darkness" for its masthead.

2017: Hiring of Jamal Khashoggi

In 2017, The Washington Post hired Jamal Khashoggi as a columnist.

June 2018: Employees demanded fair wages

In June 2018, over 400 employees of The Washington Post signed an open letter to Jeff Bezos demanding "fair wages; fair benefits for retirement, family leave and health care; and a fair amount of job security."

August 2018: Trump's criticism of The Washington Post

By August 2018, Donald Trump had tweeted or retweeted criticism of The Washington Post, tying it to Amazon, more than 20 times since his campaign for president. He also frequently attacked Post journalists and columnists via Twitter.

2018: The Guardian reports on China Watch's approach to propaganda

According to a 2018 report by The Guardian, "China Watch" uses "a didactic, old-school approach to propaganda."

2018: Murder of Jamal Khashoggi

In 2018, Jamal Khashoggi was murdered by Saudi agents in Istanbul.

2018: Appointment of Gender Columnist

In 2018, Monica Hesse was appointed The Washington Post's first-ever gender columnist.

January 2019: Lincoln Memorial confrontation

In January 2019, a confrontation at the Lincoln Memorial between Covington students and the Indigenous Peoples March led to a defamation lawsuit against The Washington Post by Nick Sandmann.

October 28, 2019: Lawsuit Reopened

On October 28, 2019, Nick Sandmann's defamation lawsuit against The Washington Post was reopened after his lawyers amended the complaint.

2019: Washington Post stopped running "China Watch"

According to The Guardian, The Washington Post had already stopped running "China Watch" in 2019.

2019: Depp Lawsuit

In 2019, Johnny Depp filed a lawsuit against Amber Heard for defamation after the Post published Heard's op-ed about sexual violence.

February 2020: Republican members of the U.S. Congress called for an investigation of potential FARA violations by China Daily

In February 2020, 35 Republican members of the U.S. Congress wrote a letter to the U.S. Department of Justice calling for an investigation of potential FARA violations by China Daily, highlighting the article "Education Flaws Linked to Hong Kong Unrest" in the Post.

2020: Bernie Sanders Criticized The Washington Post

During the 2020 Democratic Party presidential primaries, Senator Bernie Sanders criticized The Washington Post, saying its coverage was slanted against him due to Jeff Bezos' ownership. Martin Baron responded that Sanders' criticism was "baseless and conspiratorial".

2020: Endorsement

In 2020, The Washington Post editorial board endorsed Joe Biden.

2020: Settlement of Sandmann lawsuit

In 2020, The Washington Post settled the defamation lawsuit brought by Nick Sandmann for an undisclosed amount.

2020: Felicia Sonmez suspended and reinstated

In 2020, The Washington Post suspended reporter Felicia Sonmez after she posted a series of tweets about the 2003 rape allegation against Kobe Bryant after Bryant's death. She was later reinstated.

2020: Subscriber Loss

Since the end of 2020, The Washington Post had lost around 500,000 subscribers.

July 2021: Felicia Sonmez Sues The Post

In July 2021, Felicia Sonmez sued The Washington Post and several of its top editors, alleging workplace discrimination.

2021: Foreign Bureaus

As of 2021, The Washington Post had 21 foreign bureaus.

March 2022: Sonmez's lawsuit dismissed

In March 2022, Felicia Sonmez's lawsuit against The Washington Post was dismissed by the court.

June 2022: Felicia Sonmez Fired After Twitter Feud

In June 2022, Felicia Sonmez was fired by The Washington Post following a Twitter feud with fellow staffers. David Weigel was suspended for a month. Sally Buzbee sent out a newsroom-wide memorandum directing employees to "Be constructive and collegial".

2022: Bezos Shareholder

As of 2022, Jeff Bezos is the largest single shareholder in Amazon with 12.7% of voting rights.

2022: Johnny Depp Sues Amber Heard

In 2022, Johnny Depp successfully sued ex-wife Amber Heard for an op-ed she wrote in The Washington Post.

March 2023: Average Printed Weekday Circulation

As of March 2023, The Washington Post's average printed weekday circulation was 139,232, making it the third-largest newspaper in the country by circulation.

October 2023: The Post announces job cuts

In October 2023, The Washington Post announced it would cut 240 jobs across the organization by offering voluntary separation packages. The Post had lost around 500,000 subscribers since the end of 2020 and was set to lose $100 million in 2023.

December 2023: Washington Post Guild Went on Strike and Won a New Contract

In December 2023, more than 750 journalists and staffers at The Washington Post went on strike, accusing the company of refusing to "bargain in good faith." Later that month, the Washington Post Guild won a new three-year contract with the paper.

2023: Print and Digital Subscribers

In 2023, The Washington Post had 130,000 print subscribers and 2.5 million digital subscribers, both ranking third among American newspapers.

2023: Investigation finds Washington Post creates advertorials for fossil fuel industry

In 2023, an investigation found that The Washington Post creates and publishes advertising for the fossil fuel industry, raising concerns about conflicts of interest among climate change journalists.

May 2024: AI to Improve Financial Situation

In May 2024, CEO William Lewis announced that the organization would embrace artificial intelligence to improve the paper's financial situation, seeking "AI everywhere in our newsroom."

June 2024: Internal Turmoil and Financial Challenges

In June 2024, it was reported that The Washington Post faced significant internal turmoil and financial challenges. This included controversy over CEO William Lewis's leadership style, the abrupt departure of executive editor Sally Buzbee, and allegations of Lewis's attempts to influence editorial decisions.

2024: No Presidential Endorsements

In 2024, The Washington Post announced that it would no longer publish presidential endorsements.

2024: Losses

In 2024, Washington Post experienced losses of $100 million.

2024: The Post will not endorse a candidate for 2024.

In 2024, eleven days before the presidential election, CEO William Lewis announced that The Washington Post would not endorse a candidate. Lewis also said that the paper would not make endorsements in any future presidential election.

2024: Criticism following the decision to not endorse a candidate.

In 2024, the decision to not endorse a candidate was criticized by Martin Baron and led to resignations. Columnists jointly authored an article calling the decision a "terrible mistake", and over 250,000 people cancelled their subscriptions.

January 2025: Editorial Cartoonist Resigns

In January 2025, Ann Telnaes resigned from The Washington Post after the paper refused to run a cartoon critical of the relationship between American billionaires and President Donald Trump.

January 2025: Layoff Announcement

In January 2025, The Washington Post announced it would layoff 4% of its staff, which is less than 100 people, and newsroom employees will not be affected.

January 2025: Gender Columnist Role Scrapped

In January 2025, The Washington Post scrapped the paper's "gender columnist" role and reassigned Hesse from the Style/Power section to the Opinions section after Post editors rejected an article she recently submitted.

February 2025: Bezos announces opinion direction

In February 2025, Jeff Bezos announced that the opinion section of the Post would publish only pieces that support "personal liberties and free markets".

February 2025: Bezos Announcement

In February 2025, Jeff Bezos announced that the paper's opinion pages would endorse "personal liberties and free markets".

March 2025: Hesse Confirms Change

In March 2025, Hesse confirmed in an article that the "gender columnist" role had been scrapped and she had been reassigned.

May 2025: Technology workers at The Post voted to unionize

In May 2025, a majority of technology workers at The Washington Post voted to unionize as the Washington Post Tech Guild, representing more than 300 workers.

September 2025: Karen Attiah Fired

In September 2025, The Washington Post fired columnist Karen Attiah for violating its social media policy after the killing of Charlie Kirk.

October 2025: Opinion Section Conservative

In October 2025, columnist Marc Thiessen stated that the paper's opinion section was now conservative.

2025: KidsPost Returned

In 2025, the "KidsPost" column for children subsequently returned.

2025: Print Subscribers Sink

In 2025, the number of print subscribers for The Washington Post sank below 100,000 for the first time in 55 years.

January 14, 2026: FBI Raids Journalist's Apartment

On January 14, 2026, the FBI raided the apartment of Washington Post journalist Hannah Natanson and seized her electronic devices as part of a case against Aurelio Luis Perez-Lugones, who was suspected of taking home classified intelligence reports.

February 4, 2026: Layoffs and Coverage Cuts Announced

On February 4, 2026, it was announced that around 300 Washington Post employees would be laid off, with cuts to sports, books, and local news coverage. Additionally, the "Post Reports" podcast was suspended. These layoffs were driven by $100 million in losses in 2024.

February 7, 2026: Publisher Will Lewis to Step Down

On February 7, 2026, it was announced that Will Lewis would step down as publisher of The Washington Post, to be replaced in the interim by Jeff D'Onofrio.