Timeline of Al Neuharth's life
EARLY YEARS
Allen Harold Neuharth, in portrait with older brother Walter on left, was born March 22, 1924. Grew up in a German-speaking household in South Dakota towns of Eureka and Alpena. Father died when Al was 2, and his mother raised him and his brother by washing dishes and taking in laundry.
SOUTH DAKOTA NATIVE
At age 16 in 1940, Neuharth was already sporting his signature vest, photographed here in Alpena, S.D. In a few years he would serve in the infantry in World War II and then marry and go to college.
COLLEGE PAPER
Neuharth, left, Craig Stoltz and Jim Kuehn at the University of South Dakota in Vermillion, S.D., where they worked on the college newspaper. After graduation, he was hired as a reporter for the Associated Press, but decided to start his own newspaper as a way "to get rich and famous."
EARLY FAILURE
Launched weekly called SoDak Sports to cover South Dakota sports in unprecedented detail. Venture failed, but groundwork was set for a national version.
REPORTER TO CEO
In 1954, he moved to Florida to work at the Miami Herald. In 1963, he joined Gannett, becoming president in 1970 and CEO in 1973. In the years that followed, Gannett became the most profitable newspaper company in history.
PROTOTYPES
Neuharth announced Paste BN's start-up in 1982.
OFF THE PRESSES
Despite media skeptics, the first edition appeared Sept. 15, 1982, was an instant hit with readers.
HITTING THE STREETS OF USA
Neuharth, center in white jacket holding newspaper, in Springfield, Va., the night of Sept. 14, 1982, as the first edition of Paste BN rolled off the presses.
CHALLENGER EDITION
Neuharth made a rare visit back to the Paste BN newsroom the day Challenger exploded in 1986. He encouraged the full-page graphic that anchored Page One.
THE CAPADES
To raise Paste BN's profile, Neuharth toured 50 states during BusCapade in 1987; the next year he visited 32 countries on a JetCapade to meet world leaders.
RETIREMENT
Neuharth retired as Gannett chairman in 1989 after decades working with chief news executive John Quinn, center, and John Curley, who became Gannett CEO in 1986.
2008
In retirement, Neuharth created Freedom Forum, dedicated to a free press around the world. Continues to write his weekly column in Paste BN, "Plain Talk'' until his death. The $435 million Newseum opened in Washington, D.C.
2012
Neuharth's views were sought long after his retirement. In September 2012, Paste BN Editor in Chief Dave Callaway, right, and Editorial Page Editor Brian Gallagher discussed the redesign for its 30th anniversary. Neuharth urged the newspaper never to forget to serve "all your readers."