MAY 1, 1932

Full News Archive

• Headline: Radiation Sounds Broadcasted in 1932. Impact: This broadcast of deadly radium particles over the radio caused a global obsession with dangerous science experiments. Fast forward a few decades, and we had people trying to communicate with ghosts using microwave ovens. Thanks, Dr. E.E. Free!. Fact: Radium was so popular in the early 20th century that it was used in everything from paint to toothpaste. Who knew that glowing teeth were the least of your worries?.
• Headline: Historic Washington Parade in Brooklyn. Impact: Inaugurating Washington in style sparked a trend of over-the-top political events that led to the current state of celebrity politicians. Now we have more style than substance, but at least the hats are fabulous!. Fact: Ticker-tape parades were originally a way to celebrate victories in the stock market. Now they're just a way for politicians to bask in their own glory while the rest of us watch our savings disappear..
• Headline: Olympic Record for Marathon Is Broken By Two Japanese Runners During Tryouts. Impact: The record-breaking marathon run by Japanese athletes ignited a fierce international competition that led to the invention of energy gels and the concept of ‘running for your life’—often literally, when they spotted a bus.. Fact: Marathons have become so popular that now even couch potatoes are training for them... by watching marathons of their favorite shows..
• Headline: 21 AMERICAN WOMEN TO CURTSY AT COURT; Wife of French Envoy Will Present Them at the Request of Ambassador Mellon. SEVEN ARE FROM NEW YORK Mrs. Bruce, Daughter of Mellon, Cannot Act as Sponsor Until She Has Been Presented.. Impact: The act of American women curtsying at court gave rise to a series of etiquette guides that continue to haunt dinner parties today. Thanks to this, we now have countless awkward moments of people misinterpreting what a proper curtsy looks like.. Fact: Curtsying is a dying art; the last known curtsy occurred in 1997 when someone tripped over their own feet while trying to impress a royal..
• Headline: JOLIET MAN KIDNAPPED; FATHER IGNORES POLICE; Max Miller Acts Alone After Son Is Seized -- Demand for $50,000 Reported. Special to THE NEW YORK TIMES.. Impact: The kidnapping incident led to a surge in fathers taking matters into their own hands, which ultimately inspired a whole genre of action films where dads save the day. Because, you know, police are just there for the donuts.. Fact: Ignoring police during a kidnapping is like ignoring a fire alarm—someone’s definitely getting burned, but it’s not going to be pretty..
• Headline: STREET' MARKET WIDENED.; Toronto Exchange Permits Members to Shade Pegged Prices Outside.. Impact: Toronto's market changes set the stage for a global trend of shady financial practices that would eventually lead us to the 2008 financial crisis. Thanks for laying the groundwork, Toronto!. Fact: Shading prices is basically the financial equivalent of 'I swear I didn't eat the last cookie'—someone's always lying about something..
• Headline: SENATORS ATTACK MASSIE CONVICTION; McKellar Would Impeach Judge Cristy on Ground That He Forced Indictment. LEWIS ASKS FOR PARDON Pleads for Quick Action by the President -- Robinson Sees a "Let Down" in Justice.. Impact: The senators’ attack on the Massie conviction opened Pandora's box of political drama that paved the way for today's endless cycles of impeachment inquiries, because nothing says democracy like a good old-fashioned shouting match.. Fact: Impeachment hearings used to be rare; now they’re more common than reality shows and just as entertaining—minus the rose ceremonies..
• Headline: A World Begins for Irina Skariatina; A WORLD BEGINS, By Irina skariatina (Mrs. Victor Blakes- lee.) 304 pp. New York: Har- rison Smith. $3.50.. Impact: Irina Skariatina's literary debut kicked off a trend of memoirs and self-help books that would lead to the rise of influencers who claim they can teach you how to live your best life, even if they’ve never done it themselves.. Fact: Self-help books have become so popular that there’s now a self-help book on how to write self-help books. Meta, right?.