OCTOBER 6, 1940

Full News Archive

• Headline: New Deal's Multi-Tasking Visionary. Impact: This appointment led to a chain reaction of bureaucratic jobs being created like popcorn in a microwave, eventually resulting in the bureaucratic labyrinth we now navigate with a GPS and a prayer.. Fact: The New Deal was supposed to be a 'deal,' but it turned out to be more like a never-ending subscription service. You know, the kind you forget you signed up for?.
• Headline: Architect E.R. Purves Discusses Profession's Future. Impact: Purves’ gloomy forecast on architect jobs inadvertently led to a surge in DIY home improvement shows, giving rise to an entire generation of people convinced they could build a deck with just a YouTube tutorial.. Fact: E.R. Purves probably didn’t foresee that one day people would think 'architect' means 'someone who can build IKEA furniture without crying.'.
• Headline: A LINER TRIES HER ETHEREAL WINGS; S.S. AMERICA HAS NOVEL RADIO. Impact: This liner's new radio sparked a fascination with air travel that ultimately led to the invention of in-flight entertainment—because who wouldn’t want to watch a movie while crammed into a flying tin can?. Fact: The 'novel radio' was so advanced that passengers thought they were listening to the future, not realizing it was just a bad rendition of 'The Girl from Ipanema.'.
• Headline: Dinner Oct. 15 to Honor Keegan. Impact: This dinner set off a domino effect of testimonial dinners that led to the creation of award ceremonies for everything from best office coffee to the 'Best Paperclip Organizer'—because who doesn’t love a good trophy?. Fact: Honor dinners are the only place where people can enjoy a cold meal while pretending to care about each other's accomplishments. Bon appétit!.
• Headline: LONDON'S EAST END BATTERED BY NAZIS; But Morale Is Strengthened by Government Action to Improve Shelters. Impact: The resilience shown during the bombings led to a cultural identity of 'Keep Calm and Carry On,' which has been appropriated by coffee mugs and T-shirts worldwide, diluting its original meaning into a cliché.. Fact: The British stiff upper lip was so strong it probably could have withstood a direct hit from a bomb—if only they could have bottled it for the rest of us!.
• Headline: PLEADS FOR ARCHITECTS; F.A. Fletcher Points at Menace to Private Practice. Impact: Fletcher’s plea inadvertently opened the floodgates for architects to become the go-to people for home renovation reality shows, leading to an influx of questionable design choices and a resurgence in avocado-colored appliances.. Fact: Fletcher probably didn’t anticipate that one day architects would be known more for their Instagram posts than their actual buildings..
• Headline: ERNEST TRUEX RETURNS. Impact: Truex’s return sparked a whirlwind of nostalgia that led to a resurgence of vintage styles and the idea that everything retro is inherently cool, paving the way for 90s fashion to make an embarrassing comeback.. Fact: Ernest Truex’s return was so anticipated that it was like finding out your childhood toy is being rebooted—only to realize it’s still just a toy..