OCTOBER 12, 1939

Full News Archive

• Headline: Women's Group Fights Radio Hysteria. Impact: The movement to prevent unsubstantiated reports caused a ripple effect through media history, resulting in the future creation of fact-checking organizations. Ironically, the very same organizations now spend their days fact-checking memes shared by your aunt on Facebook.. Fact: Did you know that 'HYSTERIA' was once a medical diagnosis for women? Turns out, it was just a fancy term for 'women having opinions.'.
• Headline: Wage Increases for Waterway Workers. Impact: The wage increases for employees in waterways services led to a nationwide trend of unions demanding better pay, which eventually culminated in the rise of coffee breaks—because who doesn’t want a 15-minute escape from reality?. Fact: Did you know that 'waterways aides' is just another term for 'people who know how to paddle'? Truly a niche skill set..
• Headline: Stable Exports in Mexican Mining Sector. Impact: The steady exports of gold and silver, along with the rising copper prices, incited a series of treasure hunts in backyards across America, leading to a spike in 'X marks the spot' maps, which were ultimately useless.. Fact: Did you know that copper is also used for making pennies? So essentially, this headline is just about making more coins to toss into wishing wells..
• Headline: Shanghai Americans Concerned. Impact: Concern from Shanghai Americans over shipping clauses eventually led to the establishment of a global shipping advisory board, which today is just a group of people arguing over who gets to steer the boat.. Fact: Did you know that the U.S. Congress has been concerned about shipping clauses since the days of wooden ships? Some things never change, including the level of concern!.
• Headline: VATICAN ASKS ALLIES TO AID POLISH CHURCH; Britain and France Reply They See No Way to Help. Impact: The Vatican’s plea for help with the Polish Church led to a series of diplomatic discussions that would later be joked about as 'the Holy See's version of begging for Wi-Fi,' proving that even in dire times, humor finds a way.. Fact: Did you know that during crises, the Vatican often sends out more letters than a beleaguered college student? No miracle can save you from that level of correspondence!.
• Headline: IROQUOIS ARRIVES SAFELY IN PORT; Convoyed From Mid--Ocean After Warning--Joyous Scenes at Pier. Impact: The safe arrival of the Iroquois in New York City sparked a trend of ships throwing extravagant parties upon arrival, which eventually led to the concept of 'cruise ships'—because who doesn't want to party on the open sea?. Fact: Did you know that the Iroquois was once the hottest ticket in town? Now it just sounds like a fancy name for a long-awaited Uber..
• Headline: PRESIDENT APPEALS TO C.I.O. FOR PEACE; Tells Convention the Country Wants an End to Separation in the Labor Movement STRESSES NATIONAL UNITY He Urges Renewal of Conferences With A.F.L. to Continue Until Settlement Is Reached. Impact: The President's appeal for peace among labor groups ironically led to the creation of more divisions within labor, as unions realized that 'peace' often just meant 'let's agree to disagree while picketing.'. Fact: Did you know that the C.I.O. and A.F.L. once argued so much they made a reality TV show out of it? Spoiler alert: No one won..
• Headline: CERMANS DISCOUNT BRITISH SEA POWER; Days of Unlimited Control in North Sea Are Held Past-- Intensified Raids Seen. Impact: The German discounting of British sea power set the stage for future geopolitical shifts, ultimately leading to the rise of naval puns in pop culture. Who knew that the fate of nations would rest on clever wordplay?. Fact: Did you know that 'sea power' is just a fancy way of saying 'whoever has the biggest boat wins'? Sounds like a playground argument on a much larger scale..
• Headline: Lindbergh to Talk Again On Repeal of Embargo. Impact: Lindbergh's talks on the repeal of the embargo kickstarted a series of debates that eventually led to the modern-day obsession with foreign policy—because nothing says 'fun' like a good old-fashioned embargo argument.. Fact: Did you know that Lindbergh was actually the first person to use the phrase 'Let’s talk about foreign relations' at a party? It went over about as well as you’d expect..