Gadgets, lab surprises, odd bets, and future-shocks from this slice of the calendar.
The Sounds of
Popular recordings and roots/country selections associated with the year
HEADLINES ON March 12, 1941
Full News Archive
- Headline: Kawai Advocates Trust in Australia. Impact: Kawai's plea for mutual trust sparked a butterfly effect across the Pacific. Little did he know, this simple call for friendship would lead to decades of sushi and barbecue fusion restaurants coexisting peacefully, with the occasional debate over who makes the best teriyaki.. Fact: Australia and Japan's relationship is basically a long-distance romance that somehow survived multiple awkward family dinners..
- Headline: Launch of Book Drive for Seamen. Impact: This book drive led to sailors discovering the joys of reading beyond their manuals, igniting a literary revolution aboard ships. Pirates eventually became scholars, debating the merits of Hemingway versus Melville.. Fact: Nothing says adventure like reading a novel on the high seas. I mean, who needs treasure when you can have Tolstoy?.
- Headline: Queens Electrical Strike Trial Begins. Impact: The trial of these union men set off a chain reaction of labor rights movements. Fast forward a few decades, and now we have 'bring your dog to work day' thanks to collective bargainingβbecause nothing says 'working rights' like a canine companion.. Fact: Unions: making sure that everyone gets a fair shake, or at least a fair slice of pizza during lunch breaks..
- Headline: THEODORE P. KINDIG. Impact: The name Kindig may seem unremarkable today, but it led to the creation of the Kindig Foundation for Unremarkable Namesβbecause everyone deserves to be remembered, even if they didn't do anything particularly noteworthy.. Fact: Theodore P. Kindig: because sometimes, your name is all you have to make history..
- Headline: GEORGE W. LATUS. Impact: George W. Latus became a footnote in history, but his name inspired countless others to start using their initials in a desperate bid for recognition. Thanks, George, for the standardization of middle initials in the bureaucracy!. Fact: George W. Latus: the man who made 'W' a thing before it became a meme..
- Headline: Wants Cancer Cases Reported. Impact: This push for cancer case reporting eventually led to improved public health policies and awareness. A major step towards fighting the disease, it reminded us that knowledge is powerβespecially when it comes to health.. Fact: The fight against cancer has evolved from whispers to loud cries for awareness. Who knew that reporting cases could change the future of medicine?.
- Headline: AMERICAN EXPORT RENEWS MAIL PLEA; Senators Hear Arguments on Ocean Air-Mail Subsidy. Impact: The plea for an air-mail subsidy set off a chain of events that would lead to what we now know as the junk mail crisis. Thanks to those senators, your inbox would later be flooded with offers for dubious 'miracle' products.. Fact: Air-mail: the original fast food delivery system, minus the greasy fries..
- Headline: 3 Students Hit by Skidding Auto. Impact: This tragic event served as a grim reminder of road safety, leading to stricter laws and regulations. It changed how schools approached safety education, ultimately saving countless lives in the years that followed.. Fact: Road safety campaigns were born from tragedies like this, showing us that sometimes, the hardest lessons lead to the most valuable changes..
- Headline: EDWARD'W. STACK. Impact: Edward W. Stack's life may have been a quiet one, but it led to the creation of the 'Stack of Names' club, where people with last names that sound like they belong in a library gather to reminisce about being overlooked in history.. Fact: Edward W. Stack: a name that could easily belong to a librarian or a man who never got invited to parties..
- Headline: BOOKS OF THE TIMES. Impact: The focus on βBooks of the Timesβ ignited an insatiable thirst for knowledge that would lead to the eventual invention of the internet, where everyone could argue about their favorite books without ever having to read them.. Fact: Books: the original version of social media, where people actually had to turn pages instead of scrolling..
Wall Street Time Machine
PG
Procter & Gamble
Procter & Gamble - If you invested $1,000 in 1941, it would be worth $586,657 today (586.7x return)
KMB
Kimberly-Clark
Kimberly-Clark - If you invested $1,000 in 1941, it would be worth $147,887 today (147.9x return)