Hara-Kiri Hebdo Becomes Charlie Hebdo
In November 1970, following the death of general de Gaulle at his home in Colombey-les-Deux-Églises, Hara-Kiri Hebdo bore the headline « Bal tragique à Colombey : 1 mort » (English: Tragic ball at Colombey: 1 death).
The choice of the title refers to a tragedy of the same month: a fire at a discothèque where 146 people were killed. As a result, the magazine was immediately and permanently banned from sale to minors and publicity by the minister of the interior Raymond Marcellin.
Charlie Hebdo was started immediately afterwards. Charlie in the title refers to general de Gaulle (said Georges Wolinski); but it was the name of another magazine from Éditions du Square Charlie Mensuel, named after the character Charlie Brown from Charles M. Schulz' Peanuts.
Read more about this topic: Hara-Kiri (magazine)