Here's to 125 years of championing the British people

TODAY marks a remarkable milestone in British journalism: the 125th anniversary of the Daily Express.

- Esther Krakue Daily Express columnist

For more than a century, through wars, recessions, political revolutions and massive cultural shifts, it has remained a steady presence: helping inform and shape the nation it was founded to serve. It has campaigned, entertained, exposed injustice and, above all, championed the people of Britain, whether they read it or not.

The paper was founded in 1900 by Sir Arthur Pearson — an extraordinary man of vision who had already launched the blockbuster Pearson’s Weekly by the age of 33.

Determined to break from the stale traditions of the time, he created a patriotic daily that became the first to put real news — urgent, important, and relevant — on the front page of a British newspaper, replacing the usual wall of advertisements.

He also pioneered sports coverage and features aimed at women, setting a new standard for what a popular paper could be.

Pearson’s own story is one of courage and resolve. As he began to lose his sight due to glaucoma, he was forced to step back but turned his efforts instead to philanthropy, founding the St Dunstan’s Trust (now Blind Veterans UK). His commitment to public service remains one of the founding values of the Express.