Page "Courant" Paragraph 1

* Courant is a common word for " newspaper ".

In 1618 the first periodical news sheets, called " corantos ", went on sale in Amsterdam.

This idea-for regular news updates-was adopted by publishers in London and on Sept 24, 1621, the first issue of an English weekly newspaper went on sale.

It was called the " Corante " and subtitled " Weekely Newes ".

It only survived for 7 editions but its title, anglicised to " Courant ", survived.

See, for instance, " Hexham Courant "-still published today-or " Newcastle Courant ".

More details can be found in " Making Haste from Babylon " by Nick Bunker, a history of the Mayflower Pilgrims.

Benjamin Franklin's brother James began a New England Courant in Boston.

The Hartford Courant, founded in 1764, is the oldest continuously published newspaper in the United States.