JULY 1, 1933

Full News Archive

• Headline: Engineers and Politics: A Divisive Debate. Impact: This disagreement among engineers led to the invention of the 'creative differences' excuse, which has since been used by countless professionals trying to avoid accountability. It also inspired a movie where engineers fight over who gets to design the ultimate bridge, which ultimately collapses due to conflicting egos.. Fact: Engineers arguing is basically just physics' way of reminding us that nothing is perfect, including communication..
• Headline: $900,000 Gold Shipment to England. Impact: This massive gold shipment inadvertently fueled a secret society of gold-hoarding squirrels who now control the financial market through elaborate acorn trading schemes.. Fact: That's roughly $13.5 million today, enough to buy a small island or fund an extravagant party for all your friends—assuming your friends are very, very expensive..
• Headline: F.D. ROOSEVELT JR. TO SAIL; Leaves for Europe Wednesday With Groton School Mates.. Impact: Franklin D. Roosevelt Jr.'s European escapade inspired the generation of young politicians to take school field trips as a form of diplomatic relations, eventually leading to the first 'Model UN' being held on a luxury cruise ship.. Fact: Franklin D. Roosevelt Jr. later became a politician himself—proof that kids really do grow up to follow in their parents' footsteps, for better or worse..
• Headline: MISSC.T.TOWNSEND TO MARRY A BROKER; Greenwich Girl, Who Made Debut Last Fall, to Be Wed to R. D. Chapman.. Impact: The marriage of Miss Townsend and Mr. Chapman led to the creation of the 'Broker's Wife Support Group,' which birthed a series of self-help books on how to survive endless dinner parties discussing stocks.. Fact: Greenwich is known for its elite social scene; marrying a broker is basically signing up for a lifetime of small talk about hedge funds and interest rates..
• Headline: $25,000 LOOT TAKEN AT H.L. PRATT ESTATE; Thieves Escape With Jewelry and Cash Without Rousing Sleeping Household. Special to THE NEW YORK TIMES.. Impact: This robbery led to the invention of the silent alarm, which has since evolved into the now-ubiquitous smart home security system that can alert you while you're on vacation about every squirrel that approaches your front door.. Fact: How did they manage to escape undetected? Clearly, the Pratt household was too busy dreaming of their wealth to notice thieves taking it right from under their noses..
• Headline: EXCHANGE RETAINS ALLIED CHEMICAL; Company's Shares to Remain in List, Dispute Over Reports Being Settled. DETAILS PROMISED LATER Concern Reiterates Belgian Charges -- Minority Stand Is to Be Decided.. Impact: The drama surrounding Allied Chemical's stock retention sparked the creation of financial soap operas, where viewers tune in weekly to see which company will implode next.. Fact: Nothing says 'trustworthy' like a company embroiled in disputes—it's basically the financial version of being voted 'most likely to succeed' in high school..
• Headline: SCOTTISH MASONS FETED.; Farewell Dinner Given Here for Visiting Fraternal Officials.. Impact: This gathering of Scottish Masons marked the beginning of a secret tradition where every farewell dinner led to the establishment of a new lodge, resulting in a global network of Masons that could rival the United Nations in sheer bewildering complexity.. Fact: Scottish Masons are known for their elaborate rituals—if only they could solve world peace with a ceremonial toast..
• Headline: KUHN, LOEB POOLS NETTED $20,000,000 IN 5 YEARS'DEALS; Pecora Reveals Data on 52 issues in 1927-31, Totaling Nearly $200,000,000. MORE KAHN PHILOSOPHY ' We Were All Sinners in Mania of 1929,' Banker Says at Senate Hearing. SHOWS KUHN, LOEB NETTED $20,000,000. Impact: This Senate hearing not only revealed the dark underbelly of the financial world but also inspired a generation of conspiracy theorists to believe that bankers were secretly running the world from behind closed doors—spoiler alert: they were.. Fact: Kuhn, Loeb & Co. made so much money during this time that their financial strategies are now taught in classes under the title 'How to Get Rich While Everyone Else Goes Broke.'.