The Independent on Sunday bowed out with a typically striking front page and the headline "Lights out".
The final edition after 26 years of publication included interviews with David Cameron and with 104-year-old Claire Hollingworth, the former foreign correspondent who broke news that Germany had invaded Poland starting the Second World War.
The front page features the gloomy cityscape of Shanghai during Earth Hour, the annual switch off of lights around the world to highlight environmental issues.
The final print edition of the daily Independent, launched in 1986, will appear on 26 March.
The decision was to close the loss-making titles was taken by owner Evgeny Lebedev after he accepted an offer of £24m for sister title i from Johnston Press last month.
As the closing edition went to print on Saturday, editor Lisa Markwell tweeted an image of the cover and wrote: "First (and last) look at the @IndyOnSunday front page. As strong, distinctive and smart as 1990. Goodnight."
The editorial recounts the paper's founding principles of being green, socially and economically liberal and "wedded" to "social justice".
It also reminds readers it began as a "European" newspaper and features Britain's leading pro-European in its early pages.
Cameron urged those who wish to remain within Europe not to be complacent and stay at home on polling day, telling voters: "For heaven's sake get out and vote in, because you might wake up and find out you're out."
Science editor since the paper's launch, Steve Connor, wrote a piece noting that the advent of crime scene DNA fingerprinting, mad cow disease and the adoption of IVF were defining moments in the history of a paper that held science reporting at its core.
Around 100 journalists are expected to lose their jobs as a result of the closure of the Independent titles and the move to web-only publication.
The Independent On Sunday launched in 1990 with Stephen Glover as editor.
The subsequent editors were: Ian Jack, Peter Wilby, Rosie Boycott, Kim Fletcher, Janet Street-Porter, Tristan Davies and John Mullin.
Current editor Markwell wrote: "Looking back over the Sindy's 26 years, the courage of its campaigns, the verve and intelligence of its reporters, the beauty of its many designs (particularly The New Review) – Britain has been lucky to have it. And from the letters and emails I've received, many of you will feel its loss keenly.
"It has been an enormous privilege to be the Sindy's editor these past three years, from the moment the proprietor called to tell me with the words, 'Congratulations… I'm going to tweet the news in five minutes' to the last-night party we'll be recovering from as you read this.
"My debts are to Evgeny Lebedev, for taking a chance on me, and keeping the paper going in an increasingly brutal economy for newsprint; to the readers, who engaged with such enthusiasm (apart from the one who told me I'd turned the paper into a 'special interest title for ladies'); to the previous editors, on whose shoulders I stood…
"Every single one of them, in their own way, kept The Independent on Sunday individual – I pored over bound volumes of years past and never failed to be inspired."
Paying tribute to her team she singled out "production supremo" Keith Howitt who has been with the paper since 1991 and "kept us on time and accurate with singular dedication and almost unwavering good humour all this time" and political editor Tom McTague "who has made a profound mark in his short tenure".
The Independent on Sunday at a paid-for sale of just over 40,000 copies per week in February according to ABC.
Content from our partners
Related
Email pged@pressgazette.co.uk to point out mistakes, provide story tips or send in a letter for publication on our "Letters Page" blog
