'Dewey Defeats Truman' 72 years ago
ELMIRA, N.Y. (WETM) – Heading into Election Day 72 years ago, the Chicago Tribune made one of the most famous media blunders of all time when they published the headline, "Dewey Defeats Truman."
President Harry S. Truman was running for re-election against New York Governor Thomas Dewey. Most believed republican challenger Dewey had the presidency clinched, even those at the Chicago Tribune.
Experts and polls predicted Dewey's victory and the Tribune rushed to be first to report it. They were wrong, and the photograph of Truman holding up the front page in victory became one of history's most iconic political images.
For this year's election, to prevent a repeat in history, we may not have results right away because of the large number of absentee and mail-in voting.