MARCH 14, 1936

Full News Archive

• Headline: Honoring M. O. Smedley’s Legacy. Impact: M. O. Smedley's funeral inadvertently triggered a nationwide trend of professional pallbearers, leading to the rise of a unique job market for people who just want to carry caskets and wear black suits—because, who doesn't want to be a part of a sad event for a living?. Fact: Funerals were once a competitive sport among the wealthy, with the fanciest coffin winning eternal bragging rights. Smedley, however, likely just wanted a quiet exit..
• Headline: National Court Tennis Doubles Championship 1936. Impact: The dramatic finale of Phipps and Rand not only secured their place in tennis history but also inspired a generation of couch potatoes to take up racquet sports, leading to a national epidemic of tennis elbow and a sudden spike in sales of ice packs.. Fact: Tennis was originally played with bare hands. So really, we've come a long way—though some would argue racket sports are just a fancy way to avoid real work..
• Headline: DIVORCE BILL REPORTED; Assembly Committee Would Make Desertion Grounds for Action.. Impact: The divorce bill, if passed, set off a chain reaction of relationships being tested, resulting in a spike in self-help books and an entire industry of dating apps that promised to find love in the midst of legal chaos.. Fact: Divorce rates soared in the 20th century, and lawyers became the new matchmakers—because nothing says romance like a good settlement!.
• Headline: HARD TO MAKE ENDS MEET; Walkout Viewed as Only Means of Improving Conditions.. Impact: The Phi Beta Kappa elections showcased the elitism of academia, leading to a secret society of scholars who would eventually spend their time debating the merits of their own intelligence over craft beer.. Fact: Phi Beta Kappa was founded in 1776, which means they've been judging us for over two centuries. Thanks for the unsolicited critique, guys!.
• Headline: Harvard Phi Beta Kappa Elects 8. Impact: Mrs. Florence Hugo's estate sparked a frenzy of estate planning and gave rise to the phrase 'Don't worry, we'll get the money after you're gone', as families everywhere began to discuss their wills with a side of awkwardness.. Fact: It’s said that the average person will spend more time planning their vacation than their estate. So, you know, priorities..
• Headline: MRS. FLORENCE HUGO LEFT $133,441 ESTATE; Frederick H. Waldorf Heirs to Share $41,097 -- W.D. Strack Appraisal Is $375,186.. Impact: Lewis’s victory not only solidified his place in boxing history but also led to the rise of the 'Cinderella story' trope in sports, inspiring countless movies where the underdog finally wins—because who doesn't love a good underdog story?. Fact: Boxing was once considered a sport for gentlemen until it became a brutal display of strength and endurance—kind of like reality TV, but with fewer rules..
• Headline: STUDENT 'LEAGUE' CENSURES REICH; ' Council' Upholds Treaty Sanctity, but 'Britain' Later Asks Equality for Germany. FRENCH' ARE DISSATISFIED ' Ethiopia' Deplores Shelving of Its Troubles -- Bliven Predicts War in 1938..