Chicago Tribune Mistakenly Declares Winner in 1948 Election
Chicago Tribune Mistakenly Declares Winner in 1948 Election
In a historic blunder, the Chicago Tribune mistakenly declared Thomas E. Dewey the winner over President Harry S. Truman in the 1948 presidential election. The newspaper famously printed the headline "Dewey Defeats Truman" on its front page, only to be proven wrong when Truman emerged victorious.
The error occurred due to early polling data that suggested Dewey was leading in the race. However, as the final votes were tallied, it became clear that Truman had secured a surprising victory, much to the embarrassment of the Chicago Tribune.
Truman's win in the 1948 election is now considered one of the greatest upsets in American political history. The Chicago Tribune's premature declaration serves as a cautionary tale about the dangers of relying too heavily on early polling data and the importance of waiting for all votes to be counted before declaring a winner.
Despite the mistake, the Chicago Tribune's headline has become a famous example of journalistic error and a reminder of the unpredictability of elections.