JULY 2, 1938

Full News Archive

• Headline: Advertising Strategies in 1938. Impact: The promotion of air defense personnel accounts led to a bizarre chain reaction where companies started advertising to aliens in a desperate attempt to secure intergalactic contracts. Who knew extraterrestrial insurance would be the next big thing?. Fact: In the early days of television, advertisers thought the medium would just be a passing fad. Spoiler alert: they were wrong, and now we can't escape ads for cat food..
• Headline: Massive Rush for Auto Licenses in 1938. Impact: The 7,000 rush for auto plates sparked a nationwide obsession with license plate collecting. Fast forward a few decades—people are now trading rare plates like they're vintage baseball cards. Who knew numbers could be so thrilling?. Fact: The first license plates were just numbers painted on the car. Imagine the thrill of owning a '1'—the ultimate flex in the world of auto plates!.
• Headline: Harriet J. Brady's Wedding Celebration. Impact: Harriet J. Brady's marriage was the catalyst for an entire genre of romantic comedies, where two people find love in the most absurd of circumstances—like a wedding in a Scarsdale home, which is basically a Hallmark movie waiting to happen.. Fact: Scarsdale is known for its affluence, but did you know it’s also the birthplace of many unreasonably high expectations for wedding cake flavors?.
• Headline: Price Cuts in Food Line Spur Trade Contracts. Impact: Price cuts in food led to a national obsession with bargain hunting, which eventually evolved into the extreme couponing phenomenon—where people treat grocery stores like it's the Hunger Games.. Fact: Fair-trade contracts are intended to help farmers, but let’s be real: they also lead to a lot of awkward conversations about quinoa at dinner parties..
• Headline: HEADS POLICE CONFERENCE; J. P. Moran, Organizer of State Group, Is Elected President. Impact: J. P. Moran being re-elected as the police conference president set off a chain reaction where police conferences became the hottest networking events for those who enjoy discussing the nuances of law enforcement over stale donuts.. Fact: Being elected president of a police conference is like being elected 'Most Likely to Succeed' in high school—everyone secretly hopes you trip on stage..
• Headline: Miss Emma Sloat Married. Impact: Miss Emma Sloat's marriage became a trendsetter, leading to a decade where everyone believed that marrying someone with an equally quirky name would guarantee happiness. Spoiler: it didn't.. Fact: Marrying someone with a matching last name can save on monogramming costs. Think of all the money you could save on napkins!.