About John Gordon
Lived 1890 – 1974 (aged 84). John Gordon was a British columnist and journalist.
John Rutherford Gordon (8 December 1890 – 9 December 1974) was a Scottish newspaper editor and columnist.
Born in Dundee, Gordon began work on the Dundee Advertiser in 1904. He was rapidly promoted, and by the end of the decade was overseeing the Perthshire and Dundee editions of the People's Journal. In 1911, he moved to the London office of the Dundee Advertiser, then the London office of the Glasgow Herald. During World War I, he served with the King's Royal Rifle Corps.
At the end of the war, Gordon took work with the Evening News, then in 1922 he moved to become Chief Sub-editor of the Daily Express. Editor Beverley Baxter promised to increase his wages, but forgot, and Gordon resigned. However, owner Lord Beaverbrook was keen to retain Gordon, and appointed him editor of the Sunday Express in 1928. Between 1928 and 1952, Gordon raised circulation of the Sunday Express from 450,000 to 3.2 million. In 1930, he commissioned R. H. Naylor to write a horoscope for the birth of Princess Margaret. This proved popular, and Gordon retained it as a regular feature – the first regular newspaper horoscope.
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Important facts
People in John Gordon's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped John Gordon's
Frequently asked questions
Who was John Gordon?
British journalist and editor (1890-1974)
When was John Gordon born?
John Gordon was born on 8 December 1890 in Dundee.
When did John Gordon die?
John Gordon died on 9 December 1974.
What was John Gordon's occupation?
John Gordon was a columnist and journalist.
What nationality was John Gordon?
John Gordon was British.
Sources & further reading
· DBpedia: John Gordon (journalist)
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). John Gordon. https://biography.guide/john-gordon-columnist/
MLA: "John Gordon." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/john-gordon-columnist/.
Chicago: "John Gordon." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/john-gordon-columnist/.
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