Chicago Tribune Puts Newspaper Archive Online
By John Dodge
CHICAGO (CBS) -- In April of 1865, the Chicago Tribune broke the news of President Lincoln's death with a series of small one column headlines.
"Terrible News"
"President Lincoln Assassinated At Ford's Theatre"
"A Rebel Desperado Shoots Him Through Head And Escapes"
It is just one of the historic moments from the the Chicago Tribune archives.
The paper has uploaded nearly 150 years of newspaper editions online.
The effort is a work in progress.
At present, the archive spans the years 1847-1991.
If you were born during that time, it's kind of fun to enter your birthday and see what happened in the world, while you were entering it.
Even the ads are interesting.
In April, 1963, cashmere sweaters were $13, a "smart, all wool, untrimmed coat was on sale for $39, and one could procure a Swiss Army knife for around $6. (Scroll to page 2)
In May, 1945, if one were making plans for Mother's Day, a one-pound box of chocolate cost 82 cents. Flowers were just a few dollars and a box of "pastel stationery" cost a buck. A "smoking and lounge suit" was $16.50.
In 1975, an ad for International Consolidated Electronics (10 locations in Chicagoland!) declared the "adding machine is dead!" It was selling a Texas Instruments "desktop calculator" for $38.88