The first printed newspaper from Asia, Hicky’s Bengal Gazette, was first published on this day. James Augustus Hicky, the controversial Irishman who started the newspaper, would blaze through Bengal’s politics for a few years, his bold publication shaking the foundations of the British government till it was stopped two years later.
It was a weekly, priced at Re 1. Initially, Hicky took a neutral stand, but later launched an attack on corruption in the British government, naming the highest officials. Hicky could be questioned for his ethical and professional behaviour, but he practised an outspoken, fearless journalism.