UPI History

United Press International (UPI) has a storied history. For over 113 years, UPI has maintained independence, surviving profound financial challenges while leading journalistically and technologically in the media and publishing industries.

E.W. Scripps founded United Press Association in 1907, overturning the Associated Press' worldwide monopolistic grip on U.S. news dissemination. With a "we try harder and smarter" attitude, "Unipressers" took on the better-resourced AP with verve and ingenuity.

This rivalry produced a classic business competition and generated tales that have become the stuff of journalistic legend. By breaking the stronghold of the AP newspaper cooperative, UPI led the media industry in covering world news independently, making news copy available for licensing to any publisher throughout the world.

UPI has, likewise, stood at the cutting edge of newsgathering practices. UPI established new rules of style and method. It was the first wire service to include bylines, helping establish strong personal brands with news consumers.

UPI introduced the concept of newsmaker interviews and developed the feature story genre as an important part of the daily news report.

News World Communications acquired UPI in 2000, making it part of its portfolio of media companies. Since that time, UPI has reversed decades of declining revenues and regained a strong reputation as a daily online news destination and for award-winning photojournalism.

Today, alongside legacy and emerging media giants, UPI faces a new technological frontier with a passion to preserve the best journalistic practices for the digital age.

John F. Kennedy, Jr., salutes as the casket containing the body of his father, President John F. Kennedy, is taken from St. Matthews' Cathedral during funeral services on November 25, 1963. Photo by Stan Stearns/UPI

UPI Timeline

1907	Newspaper publisher E.W. Scripps combines three regional news services into the United Press Association, which begins service on July 15.
1914	In Europe, UP provides the first reports from the German front lines in World War I and obtains an exclusive interview with the German crown prince. UP becomes known for its interviews.
1927	UP is first to report Charles Lindbergh's solo flight across the Atlantic.
1935	UP is the first major news service to offer news to broadcasters.
1941	UP provides first reports on attack on Pearl Harbor.
1952	UP launches United Press Newspictures photo service, the first international TV news film service.
1958	UP merges with International News Service, becoming UPI.
1963	UPI is first to report on the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.
1979	UPI makes world news reporting available to owners of home computers.
1983	UPI celebrates 75th anniversary; moves headquarters from New York to Washington, D.C.
1997	UPI launches Arabic news service for government news agencies in the Middle East.
2000	News World Communications acquires UPI.
2005	UPI launches consumer destination UPI.com.
2007	UPI celebrates 100th anniversary; UPI.com reaches 3 million unique visitors per month.
2012	UPI.com named a Top 25 General News Site in U.S. (Comscore).
2022	UPI News reaches over 30 million unique readers a month through UPI.com and a broad network of licensing and syndication partners.

Interior of the United Press office at the Munsey Trust Building in Washington, D.C. circa 1909. UPI File Photo

UPI Pulitzer Prizes

1957	Russell Jones wins for international reporting for his 1956 coverage of the Hungarian Revolution.
1960	Andrew Lopez wins for photo of Batista soldier executed by Castro firing squad in Cuba.
1961	Yashushi Nagao wins for photo of a stabbing in Tokyo.
1964	Merriman Smith wins for first and ongoing reporting of the JFK assassination.
1966	Kyoichi Sawada wins for combat photography in Vietnam.

1968	Toshio Sakai wins for combat photography in Vietnam.
1971	Lucinda Franks and Thomas Powers win for national reporting on Diana Oughton: "The Making of a Terrorist."
1972	Dave Hume Kennedy wins for photo coverage of Vietnam.
1978	John Blair wins for photo of Indianapolis broker held at gunpoint.
1980	Jahangir Razmi (remained anonymous for 26 years) wins for photo of executions in Iran during revolution.

UPI photographer Kyoichi Sawada poses with his Vietnam War photo "Flee to Safety" on Dec. 10, 1965, at the World Press Photo awards ceremony. UPI File Photo