OCTOBER 26, 1940

Full News Archive

• Headline: LaGuardia's Buses Tax Blunder. Impact: This minor oversight led to a city-wide bus fare increase, which eventually sparked a revolution in public transit funding. Fast forward a few decades, and people are debating whether flying cars should be taxed as well. Spoiler: they shouldn't.. Fact: In the grand scheme of things, forgetting a 2-cent tax may not seem like much, but it's the kind of oversight that makes you question if we should really be trusting politicians with our money—or our public transport..
• Headline: Government Ensures Flow of Light Goods. Impact: This push for luxury goods led to the eventual creation of shopping malls, which in turn inspired reality TV shows where people compete to buy the most extravagant items. Thanks, Batt!. Fact: Advertising has come a long way since then. Now we just need to convince people they need a diamond-studded avocado slicer to feel fulfilled..
• Headline: Willkie Questions Roosevelt's 4th Term. Impact: Willkie's musings on term limits eventually led to the 22nd Amendment, which means no future president can pull a 'Roosevelt' and serve forever. But hey, a guy can dream!. Fact: Political debates have changed a lot. These days, candidates don't just ask tough questions—they're also trying to dodge Twitter outrage in real time!.
• Headline: Child to T. Edward Hambletons. Impact: This birth marked the beginning of a family legacy that would eventually lead to a reality TV show about the Hambletons, proving that fame often skips generations but never misses a chance to embarrass.. Fact: Every child born has the potential to change the world—unless they become a social media influencer, in which case, it’s only about their next sponsored post..
• Headline: LAVAL SEES CIANO ON 'EUROPEAN BLOC'; Meeting Held Part of Plan to Make British Sue for Peace --Petain Returns to Vichy. Impact: This meeting set the stage for some of the more questionable alliances in World War II, proving that sometimes diplomacy is just a fancy word for 'let's see how we can outsmart each other.'. Fact: Laval and Ciano's meeting represented a low point in European diplomacy, showing that when it comes to politics, the term 'messy' doesn’t even begin to cover it..
• Headline: LINCOLN G. DICKEY, 54, AQUACADE DIRECTOR; General Manager of Billy Rose Enterprises Supervised Shows. Impact: Dickey's influence in the aquacade scene led to the eventual rise of synchronized swimming—proof that if you put enough people in water, they’ll find a way to turn it into a spectacle.. Fact: Aquacades have a history that could fill a swimming pool. Just don’t ask about the chlorine levels..
• Headline: TURKEY CROP SETS RECORD; 15,000,000 Birds Expected to Be Sold in Next Six Weeks. Impact: This record-breaking turkey crop led to the annual tradition of overindulging on Thanksgiving, which now includes the inevitable food coma that lasts until New Year's. Thanks a lot, farmers!. Fact: If you think turkeys are just for eating, think again! They also serve as a reminder of our collective inability to stop feasting after just one plate..