What was the first newspaper in the world?
Daily World (Opelousas)
The Daily World is a Gannett-owned daily newspaper in Opelousas, Louisiana, United States.
The newspaper was the first offset-printed daily newspaper in the world, and remained the sole offset-printed daily newspaper for nine years. Its first edition was published on December 24, 1939. The Opelousas Daily World was founded by John R. Thistlethwaite and Ducote Andrepont. Thistlethwaite later acquired Mr. Andrepont's interest in the operation. Rigby Owen was the managing editor during World War II while John Thistlethwaite was a Marine aviator flying the F4U Corsair, night fighter squadron, in the South Pacific. Thistlethwaite took over editor and publisher duties on his return from the war. The Daily World was sold to Worrel Newspapers Inc. in 1972. The New York Times Company acquired 8 daily papers, including the "TimesDaily", from Worrell in 1982. Gannett acquired the "Daily World" from the Times Company in 2000.
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Before the invention of newspapers in the early 17th century, official government bulletins and edicts were circulated at times in some centralized empires. The first documented use of an organized courier service for the diffusion of written documents is in Egypt, where Pharaohs used couriers for the diffusion of their decrees in the territory of the State (2400 BC). Julius Caesar regularly publicized his heroic deeds in Gaul, and upon becoming Emperor of Rome began publishing government announcements called "Acta Diurna". These were carved in metal or stone and posted in public places. In medieval England, parliamentary declarations were delivered to sheriffs for public display and reading at the market.