JANUARY 20, 1939

Full News Archive

• Headline: Hunt for Glastonbury Glowakus. Impact: The Glastonbury Glowakus hunt led to a decade of increased tourism in Connecticut, as everyone suddenly wanted to see the 'thing' that caused such a ruckus. It was later discovered that the Glowakus was just a particularly hairy raccoon that had a flair for the dramatic.. Fact: Did you know that the term 'Glowakus' was never defined? It's widely believed it was just a typo of 'glow worms,' which would have made for a much less exciting headline..
• Headline: British Industry Demands Government Action. Impact: The British industry's call for a 'big stick' led to years of diplomatic negotiations that eventually resulted in the invention of the phrase 'talk softly and carry a big stick,' which is still used today to describe how to handle awkward family dinners.. Fact: Spoiler alert: The 'big stick' was just a metaphor for a really intense game of charades that would determine trade policies..
• Headline: SCHACHT DROPS AIM FOR JEWS' 'RANSOM'; Said to Agree in Rublee Talks to Loan Cut and Abandoning or Easing of Export Demand. Impact: Schacht's concession on Jewish ransoms inadvertently sparked a long chain of events that would lead to the creation of the term 'bargaining chip,' forever changing negotiation tactics in everything from international diplomacy to family board games.. Fact: Ironically, 'bargaining chip' is also the name of Schacht's favorite poker strategy, which he used to win at local taverns..
• Headline: BROOKLYN FACULTY HELPING PICK HEAD; New President to Be Approved by Committee Including Three Professors CHOICE SEEN IN FEBRUARY Action Puts in Effect Rules Recently 'Democratized,' Tead Points Out. Impact: The Brooklyn faculty's decision to choose a new president led to an unexpected spike in academic debates over the next decade, which somehow resulted in the modern-day phenomenon of professors arguing on Twitter instead of in classrooms.. Fact: Fun fact: The last time professors agreed on anything was in 1973—when they all decided they needed more funding for coffee!.
• Headline: Dude Ranchers for Fast Divorce. Impact: The support from dude ranchers for a fast divorce led to a nationwide trend where ranch-themed reality TV shows started popping up, ultimately resulting in the phrase 'y’all are getting divorced faster than a cowboy can saddle a horse' entering the vernacular.. Fact: Did you know that dude ranches had to implement a 'no divorce' clause as a marketing strategy? Apparently 'fast divorce' wasn't the image they were going for!.
• Headline: 'TEMPORARY' WPA HELD COSTLY MYTH; Idea of an 'Emergency' Is Just an Illusion, Engineers Are Told at Symposium. Impact: The belief that the WPA was just a costly myth led to numerous conspiracy theories, including one that suggested it was secretly a ploy by civil engineers to secure more funding for coffee breaks during symposiums.. Fact: It's widely accepted that the only thing more mythical than the WPA's 'temporary' status is the concept of a civil engineer who doesn't love a good rant about paperwork..
• Headline: DEMANDS MODERATED BY PALESTINE ARABS; Insistence on a National Government Is Put Aside. Impact: The moderation of demands by Palestine Arabs led to a ripple effect that shifted public sentiment and eventually inspired a wave of peace talks, which were ironically interrupted by a never-ending series of cat videos on social media.. Fact: Did you know that the first peace negotiations were almost derailed by a disagreement over the best hummus recipe? Talk about a culinary crisis!.
• Headline: REICH LAUNCHES CRUISER; 10,000-Ton Seydlitz Is Nation's Fourth of Her Class. Impact: The launch of the Seydlitz cruiser contributed to the arms race that would ultimately lead to the phrase 'keeping up with the Joneses' being replaced by 'keeping up with the Seydlitzes' in naval terms.. Fact: Did you know that Seydlitz was just the name of a dog who liked to bark at boats? The German Navy took it far too seriously!.