JUNE 23, 1931

Full News Archive

• Headline: Ruth Nichols Plane Crash in 1931. Impact: If Ruth Nichols hadn't crashed, perhaps she would have been the first woman to circumnavigate the globe in a plane, leading to a reality where women would be the primary pilots today. The world would be a much safer place, as they would have never let men near the controls again.. Fact: Ruth Nichols was known as the 'Queen of the Skies.' Just imagine the royal decrees she could have issued had she not taken a detour into the rocks!.
• Headline: State Bankers Support Moratorium Initiative. Impact: The bankers' cheer for the moratorium will echo through time, leading to an era where people actually believed that financial institutions cared about the common man. Spoiler: they didn't.. Fact: The concept of a 'moratorium' was so popular back then, it inspired a whole generation of procrastinators. Need to pay your bills? Just call it a moratorium!.
• Headline: Hoover Pushes for International Debt Moratorium. Impact: Hoover's push for negotiations may have inadvertently given rise to the phrase 'Hoovering up the debt,' which is still used by finance majors today to describe their emotional state during finals.. Fact: Hoover was so good at negotiations, he could probably negotiate with a vending machine to get his favorite snack without paying!.
• Headline: Orders Inquiry on Hold-Up of Police.. Impact: This inquiry into the police hold-up will later inspire a whole genre of detective novels, leading to the rise of armchair detectives who never actually solve anything.. Fact: This is the moment when everyone realized that police inquiries are usually about as useful as a chocolate teapot..
• Headline: GANGSTER WILL LIE IN $25,000 MAUSOLEUM; Iamascia's Funeral Attracts a Throng--35 Autos Required for Floral Tributes.. Impact: Iamascia's lavish mausoleum set a trend for gangsters who subsequently decided that if they couldn't live the high life, at least they could die in style. This escalated the competition over who could have the most ostentatious final resting place.. Fact: It's estimated that more money was spent on Iamascia's funeral than on the average person's entire life savings. Talk about a dramatic exit!.
• Headline: ITALY BACKS US, BUT WARNS REICH; Full Approval of Debt Plan Hinges on Abandonment of Austro-German Move. WILL SACRIFICE $9,000,000 But Country Is Glad to Do It for Relief of World, Hoping for Disarmament as Result.. Impact: Italy's backing of the U.S. was like the world's worst game of dodgeball, where everyone was trying to avoid being hit by the Reich. This led to a chain reaction of alliances based on who could dodge the best.. Fact: Who knew sacrificing $9 million could be a form of international diplomacy? I guess it’s the thought that counts… or the cash..
• Headline: Aquitania Alters Cruise Plan.. Impact: Aquitania altering its cruise plan may have sparked the tradition of last-minute vacation changes, which eventually evolved into the modern-day chaos of holiday travel.. Fact: Imagine if Aquitania had just stuck to its original plan; it might have avoided being the punchline of countless travel mishaps!.