Historical Newspaper Search Gateway

How do you find original, historical accounts of strange phenomena? This tool is your gateway to the past. It allows you to search the world's largest digital newspaper archives from a single interface. Enter a historical search term—such as 'Wild Man,' 'Sea Serpent,' or 'Phantom Airship'—to generate direct links to original news reports from the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries.

Why Search Historical Newspapers?

Before the internet, television, and even radio, local newspapers were the primary source of information. They often printed strange local stories and witness accounts without the filter of modern media. These archives contain a raw, unfiltered history of anomalous reports, providing crucial context for modern investigations.

About the Archives

This tool queries the most comprehensive newspaper archives available. Each has its own unique collection.

Google News Archive

While no longer being updated, the Google News Archive is an enormous repository of scanned newspapers from around the world. Its collection is vast and can uncover stories not found in other archives, though its search interface is basic.

Internet Archive - Newspapers

A massive, free collection of digitized newspapers from across the United States and the world. The Internet Archive is an invaluable resource for finding rare and obscure publications that are not available anywhere else.

Trove (National Library of Australia)

Trove is a powerful archive that includes millions of pages from Australian newspapers. It is an invaluable resource for researching Australian cryptids like the Yowie and Bunyip, as well as finding international reports on global phenomena.

Tips for Effective Historical Searching

• Use Historical Terms: Search for "Wild Man" or "Ape-Man" instead of "Bigfoot." Search for "Airship" or "Flying Machine" instead of "UFO."
• Be Broad: Start with simple, broad terms like "Giant" or "Monster" and then narrow your search by date or location within the archive's interface.
• Check for OCR Errors: Remember that these archives are created by optically scanning old paper. Sometimes, a "T" might be read as an "F." Try different spellings if you're not finding what you expect.