The Astors: landmarks

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Landmarks

This chronology is indicative only. It covers -

Context is provided by the broader communications and media timeline on this site.

1785 first edition of London Daily Universal Register

1788 London Daily Universal Register becomes The Times

1791 Observer founded

1763 John Jacob Astor born in Waldorf, Germany

1783 migrates to US

1808 establishes American Fur Company

1836 subsidises publication of Washington Irving's Astoria

1848 dies worth US$20m, richest man in the country

1875 son William Backhouse Astor dies

1882-85 grandson William Waldorf Astor serves as US minister to Italy

1893 William Waldorf Astor moves to UK

1893 buys Pall Mall Gazette

1893 starts Pall Mall Magazine

1899 becomes UK citizen

1911 buys The Observer from the Harmsworth family

1912 John Jacob Astor IV dies in the sinking of the Titanic

1914 Pall Mall Magazine sold to Hearst

1916 William Waldorf Astor becomes British peer

1919 wife Nancy becomes MP for Portsmouth

1922 son John Jacob Astor buys London Times from Northcliffe estate

1933 Vincent Astor and W Averill Harriman launch Today magazine in New York

1937 Today merges with competitor News-Week as Newsweek

1948 David Astor becomes proprietor of The Observer

1961 Newsweek magazine bought by Washington Post

1966 Astors sell The Times to Thomson

1977 Astors sell the ailing Observer to US oil giant Atlantic Richfield (ARCO) for US$1

1981 ARCO sells Observer to Lonrho

1993 Observer bought by Guardian Media Group