DECEMBER 27, 1940

Full News Archive

• Headline: Mysterious Drowning of Nurse in Greenwich. Impact: The tragedy of a drowned nurse inadvertently sparked a global campaign for improved safety measures at luxury estates, leading to the invention of inflatable rocks. Safety first, right?. Fact: Old Greenwich is known for its wealthy residents, but it seems even they can't escape the occasional tragedy—just like the rest of us but with fancier rocks..
• Headline: RECORD NOTE ISSUE IN BANK OF ENGLAND; Circulation Advances for the Fourth Consecutive Week, Reaching 616,904,000 MORE TREASURYS BOUGHT Holdings of These Securities Now 178,528,000, Highest Level in Recent Years. Impact: The record note issue at the Bank of England was the first step towards the eventual rise of 'money trees' in the minds of desperate investors. Spoiler alert: they still don’t exist.. Fact: The phrase 'money doesn't grow on trees' was invented shortly after this event, ironically by someone who had just lost a fortune in a bad investment..
• Headline: REFUSES BARLOW DIVORCE; Court Tells Inventor's Wife No Desertion Is Indicated. Impact: This refusal for divorce somehow led to the invention of the phrase 'till death do us part' being taken way too literally—thanks for the drama, folks.. Fact: Divorce rates spiked after the invention of social media; if only this inventor had known about Instagram, they might have had a happier ending..
• Headline: Topics of The Times. Impact: Maugham’s article on mystery stories led to an insatiable public demand for more plot twists, eventually resulting in the existence of reality TV. Thanks a lot, Ed.. Fact: Mystery stories have been around since people first started hiding secrets, which is probably why most family reunions feel like a true crime episode..
• Headline: SCHOOL UNION SEES 'SMEAR' CAMPAIGN; Counsel for Teachers Also Accuses Coudert Inquiry of Deceit and 'Rough-House' CONTEMPT ACTION HEARD Court Reserves Decision on Motion to Cite 5 Alleged Reds in Brooklyn College. Impact: The allegations of a smear campaign against teachers led to the first appearance of 'fake news' in educational circles, creating a precedent for future academic debates... and Twitter wars.. Fact: The term 'smear campaign' was originally used to describe the aftermath of a poorly organized school bake sale. The cookies were that bad..
• Headline: Broker Denies Attacking Girl. Impact: The broker's denial of attacking a girl resulted in an unexpected rise in the popularity of self-defense classes for teenagers, proving that sometimes, your reputation is all in the timing.. Fact: In the world of finance, 'denial' is just another word for 'waiting for the next market crash.'.