JUNE 2, 1940

Full News Archive

• Headline: Reo's Hollywood Truck Launch. Impact: The introduction of these trucks led to a surplus of truck drivers. This surplus eventually resulted in a secret society of truck drivers forming a union to protect their right to wear trucker hats, establishing the 'Hat of Freedom' movement that still influences fashion trends today. Fact: Did you know that truck drivers are the original influencers? Long before Instagram, they were influencing the world one highway at a time, often with questionable snacks.
• Headline: Philadelphia's New City Plane Base Opens. Impact: The opening of this airport inadvertently inspired a generation of 'plane spotters' who would later become the world's most boring hobbyists, collecting data on every aircraft they saw instead of, you know, living their lives. Fact: Fun fact: The $12,000,000 spent on this airport could buy you about 12 million bad airport snacks today. Priorities!.
• Headline: Pittsburgh Triumphs in Horse Racing Championship. Impact: Pittsburgh's victory in horse racing set off a chain reaction of exaggerated sports fandom that eventually led to the creation of fantasy sports leagues, where people now obsess over imaginary athletes instead of real life. Fact: Did you know that horse racing is one of the few sports where the horses are often more famous than the jockeys? Talk about a case of 'who's really running the show'!.
• Headline: KIDO THOUGHT SUITED TO ADVISORY POSITION; Japanese Select Keeper of Seals With Greatest Care. Impact: The meticulous selection of the Keeper of Seals inadvertently set the standard for future government positions, leading to an era where every bureaucratic appointment was treated like a royal coronation, resulting in an endless parade of red tape. Fact: The position of Keeper of Seals is so prestigious that it makes you wonder: what would you have to do to get fired from it? Probably something like losing the actual seals.
• Headline: TELECASTERS AWAIT NEW RULES; FCC Insisting on Uniform System, Holds to Its Commercial Ban --No Room for Squatters--Need for Industrial Harmony Seen. Impact: The FCC's insistence on uniformity created a world where everyone started to dress alike at work, leading to the tragic phenomenon of 'office casual' that haunts corporate America to this day. Fact: The FCC's rules were so strict that they probably made most people's high school dress codes look like a fashion runway. If only they had focused on regulating bad TV shows instead!.
• Headline: Win Baldwin Flower Prizes. Impact: Winning these flower prizes launched a chain reaction of gardening competitions across the country, resulting in a generation of overly competitive neighbors who now argue about whose begonias are best. Fact: Did you know gardening used to be a peaceful hobby? Now it’s a full-contact sport in some neighborhoods. Watch out for the rogue gnomes!.
• Headline: AMERICA'S DON QUIXOTE; Coronado in his gilded armor charged at a glittering mark and found it was a glorious sunrise over the prairies.. Impact: Coronado's quest for glory inspired countless explorers who chased after dreams that often turned out to be mirages, leading to a long-standing tradition of people pursuing unrealistic goals, like becoming Instagram famous. Fact: Coronado's adventures prove that chasing dreams is often just as important as catching them. Or in some cases, just as ridiculous!.