JANUARY 19, 1940

Full News Archive

• Headline: Senate Passes Farm Mortgage Moratorium. Impact: This moratorium sparked a series of agricultural reforms that led to the rise of organic farming. Who knew that delaying mortgage payments could turn the U.S. into a kale-loving nation?. Fact: Farmers in the 1930s really thought they could get a bank to understand their plight. Spoiler alert: they were wrong..
• Headline: Declining Enrollment in New York Schools. Impact: The mass exodus from school resulted in a shortage of future baristas, leading to the rise of overpriced coffee shops in urban areas. Thanks, 1930s education policy!. Fact: In 1939, if you wanted an education, you had to dodge the school closures like it was a game of hopscotch—survival of the fittest, literally..
• Headline: Soviet Union's Mild Response to Nazi Claims. Impact: This mild rebuke set off a chain reaction in international diplomacy, eventually leading to the Cold War, where everyone was just 'mildly' unhappy for decades.. Fact: The Soviet Union and Nazis were like two rival high schools that pretended to hate each other but secretly exchanged notes on their 'not-so-great' reputations..
• Headline: Fire Department. Impact: This vague headline suggests the Fire Department was up to something big—like preparing for a future where everyone would have a fire extinguisher in their kitchen, just in case Aunt Edna decides to roast marshmallows over an open flame.. Fact: The fire department has always been there for us, unlike your last relationship. Firefighters: 1, bad boyfriends: 0..
• Headline: Article 2 -- No Title; City Airport's Radio Men To Act as Special Police. Impact: This decision led to a future where flight attendants had to remind passengers not to call air traffic controllers while they were busy being 'special police'—because nothing says safety like a radio operator with a badge.. Fact: Imagine being fingerprinted for a job that involves more talking to pilots than actually catching criminals. Clearly, the 1930s had a different view of 'special duties'..
• Headline: SENATE PASSES MINE BILL; Harriaon Vainly Attacks Inspection Plan as C. I. O.-Inspired. Impact: This mine bill was the beginning of many future regulations that led to safer work conditions, which in turn resulted in more people being able to complain about their jobs on social media later on.. Fact: Senators have been arguing about labor laws since the dawn of time. If only they could just agree on pizza toppings instead..
• Headline: Powder Plant Explosion Kills 5; Scotland Yards Gets Sabotage Hint; Warning Received of 'Accidents' at Factory Near London--Damage Over a Six-Mile Radius--Roar Heard 70 Miles Away. Impact: This tragic event sparked a renewed focus on safety regulations in munitions factories, ultimately leading to more thorough inspections—or at least more paperwork. Because who doesn't love a good audit?. Fact: Explosions are so loud that they can be heard miles away, but somehow, people still think they can sneak in a quick nap during a fire drill..
• Headline: Aviation Expert Heads Aeronautical Institute. Impact: The election of Maj J.H. Doolittle led to advancements in aviation training, which directly contributed to the future invention of the airplane snack cart. Because who doesn’t love pretending to enjoy a stale cracker while soaring through the skies?. Fact: Maj Doolittle's name sounds like a character from a children's book, but in reality, he was about to help change the world—one flight at a time..
• Headline: TENSION IN JAPAN. Impact: The mounting tension in Japan foreshadowed future conflicts that would change the course of history, leading to a world where international relations become as complicated as a soap opera plot twist.. Fact: Tension in Japan in the 1930s was so thick you could cut it with a samurai sword—if only that would have solved the real issues..