Raoul Fleischmann

It was on this day in 1925 that the first edition of The New Yorker magazine was published. It was founded by journalist and editor Harold Ross, who had a vision for a witty, cosmopolitan magazine. He wrote: "Its general tenor will be one of gaiety, wit and satire, but it will be more than a jester. [.] The New Yorker will be the magazine which is not edited for the old lady in Dubuque. It will not be concerned in what she is thinking about." Ross eventually convinced Raoul Fleischmann, the heir to Fleischmann yeast, to support the magazine as a financial backer. Fleischmann said of Ross: "I wasn't at all impressed with Ross' knowledge of publishing." For his part, Ross complained, "The major owner of The New Yorker is a fool and [.] the venture therefore is built on quicksand." Despite their difficult relationship, Fleischmann continued to back the magazine until his death.

- Writer's Almanac