Nature Pastcast, November 1869: The first issue of Nature

This year, Nature celebrates its 150th birthday. To mark this anniversary we’re rebroadcasting episodes from our PastCast series, highlighting key moments in the history of science.

In this episode, we’re heading back to 4 November 1869, when Nature’s story began. The first issue of the journal looked very different from the way it does now and, to the dismay of the editor, it was not immediately popular. In this podcast, we hear how Nature began, and how it became the journal it is today.

From the archive

Nature 4 November 1869