Life ends

The May issue of Life magazine will be its last. Founded in 1936 by Henry Luce, the weekly magazine "brought the world home" to American readers. It chronicled the triumphs and heartaches of the U.S. in the 1940s, 50s and 60s through picture stories by life staff photographers such as Margaret Bourke-White,

The magazine was first retired in 1972 but was reintroduced in 1978 as a monthly, although it did not turn a profit until 1986. Since 1991, as more glossy, general interest magazines with sexier graphics and greater coverage of the entertainment industry have overshadowed the more conservative Life, ads and circulation have steadily dropped and the magazine has been operating at a loss. The publishers at Time Inc. said that the magazine would continue to publish special issues as well as its auxiliary products, such as books and videos.