The Gentleman's Magazine was launched in 1731, by Edward Cave, the son of a Warwickshire cobbler. His idea for a periodical covering a wide range of interests was rejected by several London publishers, so he took on the task of production himself. His was the first publication to use the word 'magazine' in relation to a periodical, and was indeed the first general interest magazine, in the modern context of the word.

The Gentleman's Magazine covered a wide range of topics, from political reports to poetry and trading news. Widely circulated and popular, it finally ceased production in 1907.