APRIL 22, 1940

Full News Archive

• Headline: Salute Broadcast Celebrates Pan-American Unity. Impact: This broadcast led to the eventual creation of the International Courtesy Taxi Driver Association (ICTDA), which, believe it or not, became the world's first organization dedicated to ensuring taxi drivers learned the polite art of not yelling at their passengers.. Fact: Despite this noble aim, the only thing taxi drivers seem to have mastered across time is the art of finding the longest route to your destination..
• Headline: British Raids on Nazi Coastal Bases. Impact: The relentless British hammering resulted in the creation of the first 'Nazi base' survival guide, which became a best-seller among future generations of wannabe historians and conspiracy theorists alike.. Fact: Interestingly, the British Admiralty’s report card for the raids read ‘C for effort, A for destruction’, proving once again that a little chaos can really boost your grades..
• Headline: 3 Runaway Youths Located. Impact: The saga of the runaway youths sparked a nationwide 'Don’t Run Away, Just Talk' campaign, which effectively changed the course of teenage rebellion forever, leading to the invention of text messaging to avoid confrontation.. Fact: In an ironic twist, those same youths later became social media influencers, proving that sometimes running away just leads you to a better life—online..
• Headline: SCREEN NEWS HERE AND IN HOLLYWOOD; 'Aloma of the South Seas' to Be Remade by Paramount-- Role for Ray Milland FRENCH FILM DUE TODAY 'Buck Benny Rides Again' and 'Two Girls on Broadway' Are Slated for Wednesday. Impact: The constant remaking of films like 'Aloma of the South Seas' created a time loop of mediocrity that led to a future where originality is considered a rare, vintage artifact.. Fact: In an ironic twist, 'Buck Benny Rides Again' was so popular that it led to the creation of sequels to movies that didn’t even exist yet. Truly, Hollywood’s time machine was always a little off..
• Headline: Scalise, Union Head, Seized In $100,000 Extortion Plot; LABOR OFFICIAL ARRESTED ON EXTORTION CHARGE. Impact: This incident sparked a series of labor union reforms, leading to the establishment of the ‘Don’t Extort Your Friends’ rulebook, which remains largely ignored in every industry to this day.. Fact: Extortion plots have a way of becoming the new office gossip, proving once again that every workplace has its own version of a soap opera..
• Headline: Florence Mercuro's Recital. Impact: This recital marked the beginning of many future artists believing that if they just keep performing, someone might eventually take notice, which is how the phrase 'just keep singing' became a mantra in the arts.. Fact: Florence Mercuro’s recitals were so riveting that they inspired a generation of musicians to believe that playing out of tune was actually a bold artistic statement..
• Headline: 2 HELD AS PAPER THIEVES; Men Charged With Stealing Newspapers in $2,000 Racket. Impact: The notorious paper thieves inadvertently birthed the concept of 'paper trails,' which is a fancy way of saying that the more you steal, the more paperwork you create for yourself.. Fact: In the end, these two thieves were caught not because of their crime, but because they simply couldn’t resist sharing their exploits on social media—before it existed..
• Headline: OPERA DRIVE STARTS ON ITS LAST $100,000; Progress Gratifying, but Hard Task Remains, Sloan Finds. Impact: The ongoing opera drive led to the belief that fundraising is just another form of performance art, forever entwining the worlds of philanthropy and drama in a rather melodramatic fashion.. Fact: The hard task of fundraising for the opera has inspired countless other non-profits to adopt the same strategy: 'If we can make it sound dramatic enough, maybe someone will donate!'.