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Le Figaro begins publication in Paris as a satirical weekly

When
1826
Where
France
Episodes
1

Le Figaro, a French daily morning newspaper, was founded in 1826 as a satirical weekly. It adopted its name and motto from Pierre Beaumarchais's 1778 play Le Mariage de Figaro, which satirized privilege. The publication is recognized as the oldest national newspaper in France.

Episodes

  1. 1826 · FranceFounding as a Satirical Weekly

    Le Figaro was founded in 1826 as a satirical weekly, taking its name and motto from Pierre Beaumarchais's 1778 play Le Mariage de Figaro.

Background and detail

Background. Le Figaro is a French daily morning newspaper founded in 1826. It is considered the oldest national newspaper in France and a newspaper of record. The publication was initially established as a satirical weekly, drawing its name and motto from Le Mariage de Figaro, a 1778 play by Pierre Beaumarchais that poked fun at privilege.

Legacy. Le Figaro is recognized as the oldest national newspaper in France, alongside Le Monde and Libération as newspapers of record. It is currently the second-largest national newspaper in France, after Le Monde. Its digital archives from 1826 to 1952 are available in Gallica, the digital library of the BnF.

Sources

  1. Le Figaro Wikipedia, revision of 2026-09-29

Machine-drafted from the cited Wikipedia passages and checked by a reviewing model, not by a human editor. Every passage cites the revision it was written from; dates and places follow those passages.