While the physical Newseum, the interactive museum of news, is yet to open in D.C., its web site is very much up and running. One of the features available there may be of interest to historians and curious news junkies alike: an archive of front pages that captures events of historical significance.

Everyday the “Today’s Front Pages” section of the Newseum web site features over 500 newspaper front pages from around the world (accessible through a list, map, or gallery). While the front page images are large and brilliantly crisp, the site also offers more readable PDF versions of them, as well as links to the newspapers’ web sites. Unfortunately, due to copyright agreements the Newseum doesn’t keep an online archive of the front pages for everyday. But, they do have permission to archive newspaper front pages related to major historical events. For instance:

• September 12, 2001 – 110 front pages related the 9/11 terrorist attacks
• October 28, 2004 – 340 front pages from the day after the Red Sox won the World Series
• June 1, 2005 – 409 front pages after Deep Throat’s identity was revealed
• October 25, 2005 – 455 front pages following the death of Rosa Parks
• April 17, 2007 – 567 front pages from the day after the Virginia Tech Massacre

While the Newseum’s archive is limited to just the front pages of these newspapers, it does offer a fascinating snapshot of what was going on and the various kinds of media coverage in the world during some significant historical events.

This post first appeared on AHA Today.