NOVEMBER 3, 1940

Full News Archive

• Headline: New Opera Studio Opens in 1940. Impact: This studio opened the floodgates to a wave of opera singers who, convinced they were the next Caruso, began performing in the shower, leading to a nationwide spike in water bills and a booming market for soundproof bathroom renovations.. Fact: Fun fact: You can’t actually drown out an opera singer’s vibrato with a high-powered showerhead. Trust me, I've tried..
• Headline: FROM THE MAIL POUCH; Rachmaninoff on Records. Impact: Rachmaninoff’s push for more recordings led, decades later, to the birth of the mixtape culture, where teens would awkwardly try to woo each other with piano solos instead of love letters. It was a dark time for romance.. Fact: Rachmaninoff’s fingers were so large that they could hit multiple keys at once, which makes him the original 'multi-tasking' musician. Who needs a smartphone?.
• Headline: PRESIDENT ASSAILS 'WAR WHISPERING'; He Says at Rochester Martin Incited Rumor of Early Move Planned Against Japan INSPECTS PLANE PLANTS Is Greeted by Huge Throngs in Buffalo--Goes to Capital Before Hyde Park Visit. Impact: Roosevelt’s verbal smackdown of war whispers inadvertently led to a new genre of conspiracy theories where every vague rumor became a bestseller, paving the way for future tabloids filled with the absurd.. Fact: Rumor has it that 'war whispering' was actually a secret code among politicians for 'let’s all just chill and not start World War III today'..
• Headline: BIGGEST OF ALL BIG-JOBS; CANADIAN NATIVITY. Impact: The construction of this memorial window set off a nationwide trend in Canada where every town felt compelled to outdo the last, leading to an explosion of nativity scenes that were so elaborate they became tourist attractions.. Fact: Did you know that in Canada, even the nativity scenes have to deal with winter weather? Snowmen have become unofficial members of the Holy Family up there..
• Headline: GIRLS WILL BE BOYS; The philosopher searches for the meaning of the style that puts college girls into true masculine clothes.. Impact: This exploration of gender expression led to a cultural revolution where clothing became less about gender and more about comfort, eventually giving rise to the pajama pants as everyday wear. Thank goodness for that!. Fact: Fun fact: The struggle of girls in masculine clothes led to the invention of 'boyfriend jeans', a style that allows you to look casual while secretly being in a committed relationship with comfort..
• Headline: Opening Night of Ice Follies on Dec. 2 Will Give Support to Fund for Musicians; Many Subscribe for Event in Behalf of Aged Artists Or Unemployed--Annual Dinner Planned. Impact: The Ice Follies event not only supported musicians but also started the trend of cold-weather performances, leading to a future where ice-skating became a legitimate Olympic sport, and where skaters had to deal with more injuries than figure skaters care to admit.. Fact: Did you know that ice skating is just like dancing, except you're risking frostbite instead of stepping on toes? Talk about a chilly romance!.