It’s the Belfast News Letter’s birthday — the world’s oldest daily newspaper turns 285 today

The News Letter turns 285 today.

We are, as most readers will long have known, the oldest English language daily newspaper in the world, and this is our birthday.

The exact first date of publication is not known for sure and was long thought to be September 1 1737. But that was probably based on an assumption that the initial paper was produced on the first day of the month (any copy of that first edition having long since been lost).

But research that I carried out for our 275th anniversary in 2012, based on the numbers of the early editions that do survive (from 1738) led me to conclude we most likely first hit the streets on Sep 6 1737.

That was the date under the old Julian calendar that was used back then, but in 1752 Britain adopted the Gregorian calendar that we still use. The equivalent date now is September 17, ie today.

We are almost 50 years older than The Times (of London), which was launched in 1785 and is itself far older than many long-standing papers, the most enduring of which were typically founded in mid to late 1800, perhaps 150 years after us. Our longevity means that we have reported now on 11 monarchs, the latest being King Charles III. The first was King George II, who was on the throne in 1737 and remained so until 1760, after which his grandson George III assumed the crown (who would become ‘the King who lost America’).

Then the monarchs are:

• 1820 George IV

• 1830 William IV

• 1837 Queen Victoria

• 1901 Edward VII

• 1910 George V

• 1936 Edward VIII

• 1936 George VI

• 1952 Elizabeth II

• 2022 Charles III

While the News Letter has reported on only 11 heads of state in our 285 years, we have reported on 56 United Kingdom heads of government (prime ministers).

In fact, we have reported on every prime minister the UK has ever had because the very first, Robert Walpole, was still in Downing Street at the time of our launch.

Prime ministers come and go much more readily than kings or queens because the former have very limited times in office, the latter serve for life.

As has been much cited in recent reports, the late Queen had 15 prime ministers who served under her, during the sovereign’s 70-year reign.

While Elizabeth II is the longest reigning monarch in British history, she is one of three sovereigns during our time who have had long tenures– the other two being Victoria (64 years) and George III (60 years).

Those three monarchs between them have reigned for almost 200 years out of our 285.

Thus almost countless numbers of words have been written about them on these pages over the centuries (I say ‘almost’ countless because gradually all the surviving past papers are being digitised, so one day it will in fact be possible to count them).

We would have produced a larger celebration of our birthday today if we were not making room for extensive coverage of the Queen’s death, and the King’s accession.

In the meantime, we thank you, our faithful readers — for buying us and keeping us in publication as a daily print edition, alongside an ever growing digital version, as we look forward to the coming centuries!

• Queen’s birthday wishes to News Letter

The late Queen Elizabeth II sent her warm wishes to the News Letter on our 275th birthday in 2012.

Buckingham Palace sent this message: ‘The Queen was pleased to receive your message of loyal greetings, sent on behalf of the (Belfast) News Letter on the occasion of the paper’s two hundred and seventy fifth anniversary which is being celebrated this year.

‘Her Majesty was most interested to learn about the News Letter and appreciates your kind words on her Diamond Jubilees.

‘In return, The Queen sends her warm good wishes to all concerned on this most special anniversary.’