Januarius MacGahan

The reporter who told the truth about war

Who is he?

Januarius MacGahan was an American war correspondent who became known for his vivid reporting on international conflicts and humanitarian crises.

Why is he an overman?

Januarius MacGahan did way more than just doing his job as a journalist when describing the horrors of war. He was a real human being who told the stories of fellow humans in a way that reached the hearts of all of his readers. From a mere witness of devastation he rose to be a true liberator of a whole nation. 

Short biography:

12 June 1844 – 09 June 1878

Januarius MacGahan was born in Ohio and grew up on a farm, receiving limited formal education. His desire to become a journalist made him move to Europe where he started writing pieces for newspapers such as the New York Herald and later the London Daily News. His work attracted the attention of the public because of his courageous on-the-ground coverage of wars, containing emotional descriptions.

His important coverages included the Russian campaign against the Khanate of Khiva and the the Serbian–Ottoman War (1876–1878). The work that affected the readers the most, however, was the investigation of atrocities in Bulgaria following the April Uprising of 1876. His articles about the mass killings in places such as Batak caused outrage in Europe and contributed to the decision of European powers to take action. During the the Russo-Turkish War he continued reporting from the front lines, marching together with the Russian troops.

MacGahan died of typhus at the age of 34 while in Constantinople. Today he is remembered as one of the most influential war correspondents of his era. In Bulgaria there are several monuments and streets named after him that commemorate his role in the liberation process.