Google has just rolled out its Google News Archve Search, allowing people to search through news archives of several major newspapers going back over 200 years.
The archive service has both free and paid content, displayed by relevance or by date, as any other Google News search. In the case of paid content, the cost of accessing the article is also shown.
“The goal here is to be able to explore history as it unfolded,” said Anurag Acharya, an engineer at Google and one of the team behind the project.
“It’s fascinating to see how people’s attitudes and emotions have changed through time.”
The earliest known searchable story is, he said, from “somewhere in the mid-1700s” - considerably older than the current 30-day archive offered through Google News. — BBC News
I tried out a few searches and it does indeed go way back. I was able to look at articles about John F. Kennedy from the 1950’s and read one article on the atomic bomb from 1916.
For historical research I think this is going to be one valuable tool. And I haven’t even begun to think about ways in which it might be used. What would you do with the ability to read 200 year old newspapers from your desktop?
{ 12 comments }
Jeanne Riddick 09.06.06 at 9:51 am
I dont get it? Whats the big deal? You can search google and find links to articles you have to pay for. I can do that anywhere. They should partner with Congoo.com and then people could have free access too.
Jeanne Riddick 09.06.06 at 9:51 am
I dont get it? Whats the big deal? You can search google and find links to articles you have to pay for. I can do that anywhere. They should partner with Congoo.com and then people could have free access too.
Jeanne Riddick 09.06.06 at 9:51 am
I dont get it? Whats the big deal? You can search google and find links to articles you have to pay for. I can do that anywhere. They should partner with Congoo.com and then people could have free access too.
Jeanne Riddick 09.06.06 at 9:51 am
I dont get it? Whats the big deal? You can search google and find links to articles you have to pay for. I can do that anywhere. They should partner with Congoo.com and then people could have free access too.
Vinnie 09.06.06 at 11:00 am
“What would you do with the ability to read 200 year old newspapers from your desktop?”
I’d finally be able to see if Ye Olde Baltimore Times from 1801 had a classified section that looks like craigslist :p
Seriously though, I could see it being extremely useful for research papers/academic purposes.
Vinnie 09.06.06 at 11:00 am
“What would you do with the ability to read 200 year old newspapers from your desktop?”
I’d finally be able to see if Ye Olde Baltimore Times from 1801 had a classified section that looks like craigslist :p
Seriously though, I could see it being extremely useful for research papers/academic purposes.
Vinnie 09.06.06 at 11:00 am
“What would you do with the ability to read 200 year old newspapers from your desktop?”
I’d finally be able to see if Ye Olde Baltimore Times from 1801 had a classified section that looks like craigslist :p
Seriously though, I could see it being extremely useful for research papers/academic purposes.
Vinnie 09.06.06 at 11:00 am
“What would you do with the ability to read 200 year old newspapers from your desktop?”
I’d finally be able to see if Ye Olde Baltimore Times from 1801 had a classified section that looks like craigslist :p
Seriously though, I could see it being extremely useful for research papers/academic purposes.
Rico 09.07.06 at 3:55 am
On a related note, I’m glad time archived all of its issues online. I was able to read about one of the Philippines’ better presidents (Ramon Magsaysay), through an article dated 1951. Imagine! Being able to read something that was written thirty years before I was born.
It’s also good to see what people’s impressions were in the past. I guess that’s the only way to see if we’ve really learned from our mistakes.
Rico 09.07.06 at 3:55 am
On a related note, I’m glad time archived all of its issues online. I was able to read about one of the Philippines’ better presidents (Ramon Magsaysay), through an article dated 1951. Imagine! Being able to read something that was written thirty years before I was born.
It’s also good to see what people’s impressions were in the past. I guess that’s the only way to see if we’ve really learned from our mistakes.
Rico 09.07.06 at 3:55 am
On a related note, I’m glad time archived all of its issues online. I was able to read about one of the Philippines’ better presidents (Ramon Magsaysay), through an article dated 1951. Imagine! Being able to read something that was written thirty years before I was born.
It’s also good to see what people’s impressions were in the past. I guess that’s the only way to see if we’ve really learned from our mistakes.
Rico 09.07.06 at 3:55 am
On a related note, I’m glad time archived all of its issues online. I was able to read about one of the Philippines’ better presidents (Ramon Magsaysay), through an article dated 1951. Imagine! Being able to read something that was written thirty years before I was born.
It’s also good to see what people’s impressions were in the past. I guess that’s the only way to see if we’ve really learned from our mistakes.
Comments on this entry are closed.