MARCH 14, 1939

Full News Archive

• Headline: Hungarians and Poles Seek Alliance in 1939. Impact: The cooperation between Hungarians and Poles against the Reich led to an unexpected revival of karaoke in Eastern Europe, as people gathered to sing about their shared struggles. Who knew a little fear could create such harmonious melodies?. Fact: Hungary and Poland have shared a complex history, but if they had known that karaoke would be the outcome, they might have teamed up sooner!.
• Headline: British Spinners Set Yarn Price for U.S.. Impact: The yarn price fix led to a global yarn shortage, ironically causing the rise of knitting as a high-stakes competitive sport. Who would have thought that scarves would become the new gold standard?. Fact: In a world where people literally used to knit for survival, the stakes have never been higher. Move over, football!.
• Headline: Coster Attorney Testifies Before Grand Jury. Impact: The grand jury testimony sparked an underground movement of amateur detectives, leading to a spike in true crime podcasts. The real crime? The quality of those podcasts.. Fact: If only the grand jury had known their testimony would inspire a wave of armchair detectives, they might have charged admission!.
• Headline: POPE'S CABLE SPURS ST. PATRICK PLANS; He Blesses Irish Groups Here --Parade Friday Is Expected to Shatter All Records MAYOR TO MISS THE FETE Trip to Coast Will Keep Him From Reviewing Procession --75,000 Marchers Seen. Impact: The Pope's blessing inadvertently triggered the largest potato chip shortage in history, as parade-goers devoured chips in celebration. Thus began the legendary 'Chips of 1938' saga.. Fact: If the Mayor had known that missing the parade could lead to a national snack crisis, he might have reconsidered that trip to the coast!.
• Headline: 30,000 AT OPENING OF FLOWER SHOW; Illusion of Spring Created by 2,000,000 Blooms From All Parts of World NEW VARIETIES EXHIBITED 4 Men Invited by Garden Clubs for 'Fun' Defeat Women in Arrangements Contest. Impact: The flower show led to a bizarre trend of floral-themed fashion, with people strutting around in petal suits. The world of fashion has never been so… fragrant.. Fact: With 2,000,000 blooms, one can only wonder how many sneezes occurred during this event. Allergies must have been at an all-time high!.
• Headline: Rochester Gallery Gets $365,000. Impact: The Rochester Gallery's funding sparked a cultural renaissance that led to the creation of the 'Gould Awards' for mediocre art, proving that even bad art deserves a spotlight.. Fact: The Gould estate must have never imagined their money would lead to someone framing a potato and calling it 'The Essence of Life.'.
• Headline: Bomb Basts Rock Slovak Capital As Leaders Assert Independence; WHERE DISORDERS OCCURRED IN SLOVAK CRISIS YESTERDAY. Impact: The declaration of Slovak independence ignited a chain reaction of independence movements across Europe, leading to a 21st-century trend of nations declaring themselves independent on social media.. Fact: If only they had known that declaring independence could lead to a flood of hashtags like #FreeSlovakia, they might have started the trend much sooner!.
• Headline: Bronx School Strike Ends After 6 Weeks; Pupils Return but Parents Plan fo Fight On. Impact: The Bronx School Strike ended up inspiring a new educational philosophy: 'Learning Through Parent Protests.' This approach has been met with mixed reviews from actual educators.. Fact: Parents fighting for their kids' education? Shocking! Next, they'll be fighting for snack choices in the cafeteria!.
• Headline: ANTI-RED BILL WINS IN ALBANY SENATE; All Republicans Join Four Democrats in 27-20 Vote on McNaboe Measure. Impact: The passage of the anti-red bill led to a nationwide obsession with the color red, resulting in an unexpected boom in tomato sauce sales. The irony of fighting communism with pasta is delicious.. Fact: In a twist of fate, the anti-red bill ended up making red the most popular color in America. Thanks, irony!.