January 21, 1769

"Junius" Letters Begin to Appear in London Newspaper

The most effective, sustained political criticism of the governments of the Duke of Grafton and then Lord North begin to appear in the Public Advertizer in the form of a series of letters pseudonymously written by "Junius," whose true identity remains unknown. They run monthly (sometime more frequently) until January 21, 1772, and are remarkable for their political insight and literary quality. They are reprinted in newspapers throughout the British world and become the most famous polemic of the day.