The Liverpool Echo published its first issue in 1879, beginning life as a cheaper alternative to its sister paper The Liverpool Daily Post. After The Post ceased publication in 2013, both in print and online, The Echo has become the primary daily paper in circulation within Liverpool, reporting on local news, politics, entertainment, and sports.
Over the years The Liverpool Echo has seen its front pages dominated by the biggest events occuring around the world at the time – such as Hitler’s invasion of Poland in 1939, Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation in 1953, the moon landing in 1969, and (much to the city’s frenzy) The Beatles returning to their hometown to premiere ‘A Hard Day’s Night’ in 1964. Journalist Felix Barker wrote in his favourable review: “Writing as a man who until this week didn’t know Ringo from Paul … let me join in the high-pitched, frenzied screaming of teenage enthusiasm.”
The Echo has also devoted a lot of attention to two of the city’s football clubs – Liverpool F.C. and Everton F.C. – and on 16 April 1989, a special 28-page Sunday edition was published in the wake of the tragic Hillsborough Disaster, where 96 Liverpool fans lost their lives during an FA Cup game against Nottingham Forest. Every one of the 75,000 copies of this edition printed was sold.
Today The Liverpool Echo continues to report both in print and online, but due to budgetary issues in 2008, it was forced to move its printing process outside of Liverpool for the first time.
For this newspaper, we have the following titles in, or planned for, our digital archive:
- 1879–1999 Liverpool Echo
- 1893–1909 Liverpool Echo.
