Morgunblaðið 100th Anniversary

The first issue of the newspaper Morgunblaðið was published on the 2nd of Novemeber 1913 and was 8 pages in size. The founder of Morgunblaðið was Vihjalmur Finsen who for many years had dreamt of publishing a newspaper in Reykjavik. In the first issue the following clause can be found: "The publication which now appears must first and foremost be a reliable, interesting and well written newspaper".

The reception accorded to the first issues testified to fresh winds blowing in the Icelandic newspaper field because the new daily sold out instantly. Morgunblaðið soon became the most widely read paper in the country. A new company in Reykjavik, Arvakur, Acquired the newspaper in 1919 and is still its owner. Newspaper editors, Valtyr Stefansson and Jon Kjartansson and the manager, Sigfus Jonsson, laid the foundation to the strong impact of Morgunblaðið among Icelanic media. Morgunblaðið prospered and readers multiplied. It became necessary to find new and bigger facilities and in 1956 Morgunblaðið moved into a new building in Aðalstraeti 6. In 1993 all the newspaper activities were combined under one roof in a new building at Kringlan 1. Thirteen years later Morgunblaðið moved to the suburb of Hadegismoar in Reykjavik north of the Rauðavatn lake.