The New York Times, founded in 1851 as the New-York Daily Times, quickly became a respected newspaper, gaining national recognition in the 1870s for its aggressive exposé of corrupt politician Boss Tweed. Since 1896, the Ochs-Sulzberger family has chaired the New York Times Company, evolving the paper into a prominent "newspaper of record" with A. G. Sulzberger currently serving as publisher.
The Times played a crucial role in landmark U.S. Supreme Court cases, including New York Times Co. v. Sullivan (1964) and the Pentagon Papers case (1971), while also pioneering a shift to digital technology, launching nytimes.com in 1996. Today, it boasts the highest subscription numbers in the U.S. with 11.88 million total subscribers (as of August 2025) and has earned an unparalleled 135 Pulitzer Prizes since 1918, solidifying its status as a global news leader with a highly educated readership.