
Abrahamson, who took over as executive editor in 2011, was the first woman to hold the paper's top position. The reason for her resignation is unknown.
"I've loved my run at The Times," Abrahamson told the paper. "I got to work with the best journalists in the world doing so much stand-up journalism."
Baquet, a Pulitzer Prize winning journalist, will become the first African-American to lead one of the most respected and influential newspapers of the United States.
"It is an honor to be asked to lead the only newsroom in the country that is actually better than it was a generation ago ... one that approaches the world with wonder and ambition every day," Baquet said.
DPA