SEPTEMBER 20, 1941

Full News Archive

• Headline: Praise for Referee's Fair Play. Impact: The praise of the referee led to an increase in the popularity of referees worldwide. They soon became the unsung heroes of sports, fueling a revolution where fans started wearing referee jerseys to games, sparking a bizarre fashion trend that still haunts us today.. Fact: Referees are the only professionals who can make an entire stadium of people erupt in a mix of cheers and boos while remaining completely neutral. Truly a talent!.
• Headline: Wool Donations for War Victims. Impact: The call for woolens sparked a knitting frenzy in Britain, leading to the creation of the world's first knitting clubs. This resulted in a global obsession with cozy sweaters, and years later, an explosion of bad holiday sweater parties.. Fact: Wool is so warm that if you wear it in the summer, you might spontaneously combust. Okay, that’s an exaggeration, but who hasn’t been too warm in a wool sweater?.
• Headline: Need for a Stadium Here. Impact: The demand for a stadium in NYC led to the eventual construction of numerous sports venues, setting a precedent for future cities. This ultimately spiraled into a culture where people built multi-billion dollar stadiums but still couldn’t figure out how to fix the public transportation system.. Fact: Stadiums are the only places where it's acceptable to spend thousands of dollars to sit in a seat designed for someone half your size while eating overpriced nachos. Priorities, right?.
• Headline: PRIORITY ALLOWED FOR 300,000 HOMES; OPM Order Applies to Dwellings Costing Less than $6,000 Each in 275 Defense Areas. Impact: The prioritization of home building in defense areas resulted in a housing boom. This, however, also led to a rather unfortunate trend of 'defense' homes being built in the most impractical places, like swamps and on cliffs.. Fact: The only thing more chaotic than housing policies is trying to find a parking spot in those new neighborhoods. Good luck with that!.
• Headline: One Lepke Juror Finally Is Picked On 5th Day; Even That Isn't Final; Tentative Selection Made After 4 Days of Wrangling -- Court Rules Defendant Must Be Referred To as 'Mr. Buchalter'. Impact: The intense jury selection process for Lepke highlighted the flaws in the judicial system, leading to a series of overdramatic courtroom dramas in movies and TV shows that ultimately misled the public about how juries actually work.. Fact: In the courtroom, every time someone says 'I object,' a lawyer somewhere has a mini heart attack. It’s basically courtroom cardio..
• Headline: AUSTRALIA BANS 'ULYSSES'; Book Barred as Obscene After Years of Circulation. Impact: Banning 'Ulysses' in Australia sparked a literary rebellion, leading to a wave of banned books being read in secret. This created the world's first underground book club, which somehow still didn't manage to find a good meeting spot.. Fact: If banning a book made it more popular, then 'Ulysses' is the high school rebel of literature. Spoiler: It still won't help you with your English exam..
• Headline: MAYOR RIDICULES O'DWYER CHARGES; Asserts Whoever Gave Data for Extravagance Accusation Did Not Know Budget Facts MAYOR RIDICULES O'DWYER CHARGES. Impact: The mayor’s ridicule of the accusations set a precedent for political accountability that eventually spiraled into reality TV-style political drama, where the biggest scandals get more airtime than actual policies.. Fact: Politicians are the only group of people who can turn a budget meeting into a full-blown soap opera. Who knew fiscal responsibility could be so entertaining?.
• Headline: Mr. Daniell Explains. Impact: Mr. Daniell's explanation of events opened the door for future public figures to think they could just explain their way out of anything. This eventually led to the rise of PR specialists who now cost more than a small country's GDP.. Fact: In the world of public speaking, there’s a fine line between clarity and confusion. Mr. Daniell may have straddled it like a tightrope walker on a windy day..
• Headline: $50,000 GEMS STOLEN FROM PARK AVE. HOME; Apartment of Duncan Holmes Is Robbed of Jewelry. Impact: The theft of gems from a Park Avenue home kicked off a wave of high-profile burglaries that inspired countless heist movies, encouraging would-be criminals to believe they could pull off similar capers—spoiler: they usually can’t.. Fact: The only thing more valuable than gems is the security system you’ll need to install afterward. Maybe next time, just keep the bling in a safe place!.