SEPTEMBER 20, 1937

Full News Archive

• Headline: Britain and Italy: Weekend Talks in Rome. Impact: This diplomatic chatter set off a series of events that led to an international game of 'who can avoid a war the longest,' ultimately resulting in the creation of a reality show where world leaders compete in negotiation skills. Spoiler: they still don’t know how to compromise.. Fact: The Nyon Conference was a real diplomatic showdown, where Britain and Italy were basically trying to patch things up like two people awkwardly trying to avoid their ex at a party..
• Headline: Italy's Patrol Cooperation in 1937. Impact: Italy's newfound willingness to cooperate inspired a generation of Italian chefs to unite in a culinary symphony, leading to a pizza revolution that would either unite or divide the world based on pineapple on pizza debates in the future. Thanks, diplomacy!. Fact: Italy joining the patrol was like that moment in a group project when the slacker finally shows up—everyone's relieved but still skeptical about the outcome..
• Headline: Eden to Support Joint Steps in Far East; Thinks Cooperation Can Still End Warfare. Impact: Eden's support for cooperation in the Far East inadvertently led to the invention of the world's first international peace-themed karaoke night, where leaders belt out their grievances instead of throwing bombs. 'Imagine all the people' indeed.. Fact: Eden’s predictions were about as reliable as a weather forecast in April—everyone hoped for sunshine, but storms were always lurking..
• Headline: FOREIGNERS READY TO LEAVE NANKING; Warnings of New Air Raids Bring Feverish Activity to Evacuate Capital City. Impact: The frantic evacuation from Nanking became a cautionary tale that inspired countless action movies, where the hero always saves the day, usually with a dramatic escape on a gunboat. Because who doesn't love a good boat chase?. Fact: The U.S. Embassy's evacuation was like a real-life game of 'The Floor is Lava,' only the lava was air raids and the stakes were incredibly high..
• Headline: GANNETT CENSURES ROOSEVELT SPEECH; ' Poorly Camouflaged' Effort to Destroy Constitution, Says Publisher. Impact: Gannett's censure of Roosevelt sparked a wave of publisher outrage that transformed journalism into a blood sport, where every opinion piece turned into a gladiatorial match. The term ‘fake news’ was born, but only decades later.. Fact: Gannett thought Roosevelt’s speech was poorly camouflaged, but little did he know, it was actually just a trial run for all future political speeches—opaque metaphors and all..
• Headline: MECHANIZING GAINS IN SOVIET FARMING; 32,000 Harvesting Combines Working Two Years Ago Have Risen to 121,000. Impact: The mechanization of Soviet farming turned out to be a precursor to modern-day farming reality shows, where tractors are the stars, and the prize is the biggest harvest. Who knew farming could be so riveting?. Fact: 32,000 to 121,000 combines in two years? That's what happens when you let farmers watch too many infomercials for the latest gadgets!.
• Headline: Snipers Hunted on Roofs. Impact: The hunt for rooftop snipers in NYC inadvertently set off an urban legend that inspired a generation of superhero movies. Because if there’s one thing we learned, it’s that every crisis needs a caped crusader!. Fact: The idea of snipers on rooftops was so dramatic it could have been the plot of a graphic novel—if only someone had thought to add a backstory involving a lost cat!.