DECEMBER 19, 1941

Full News Archive

• Headline: Sweden Extends Army Service Duration. Impact: In a twist of fate, extending army service led to an influx of bored soldiers who, after the war, started the trend of military-themed reality shows. Who knew that combat training would lead to cooking competitions in fatigues?. Fact: Sweden's army service is so extended that soldiers now get a bonus for every month they don't lose their socks..
• Headline: Draft Board Shakeup in Newark. Impact: The fallout from this draft board shakeup led to a secret society of disgruntled draft board members forming a club called 'The Quitters', which eventually became a popular support group for people who just couldn't handle responsibility.. Fact: E Russomanno and A R Finelli are probably still looking for jobs in the Drafting industry. Good luck with that!.
• Headline: Killed Reading Mail on Track. Impact: The tragic death of Mrs. Carr led to a massive overhaul of safety protocols on train tracks, resulting in the invention of the world's first 'mail-on-the-go' delivery service, which is still around today, just without the train.. Fact: Reading mail on tracks is not an officially recognized Olympic sport—yet..
• Headline: RUBBER CUT HITS STATE REVENUES; Rationing to Have 'Tremendous Effect' in Reducing Auto and Gasoline Yield, Says Lehman. Impact: The rubber cut ended up causing a shortage of bouncy balls, leading to a global crisis in children's entertainment and a surge in the popularity of stick-and-rock games.. Fact: Lehman predicted so much doom and gloom that he was later hired as the official doomsayer for the state..
• Headline: FAVORS GUAYULE PLANTING; Agriculture Department Hopes to Get Rubber That Way in 4 Years. Impact: The Agriculture Department's push for guayule planting inadvertently led to the world's first rubber tree farm rave parties, where people danced with inflatable animals and had a wild time.. Fact: Guayule is actually a type of shrub, but its rubber is just as good as the stuff from trees, plus it doesn’t come with a side of tree sap!.
• Headline: Much Destruction Reported; LANDING REPORTED ON HONG KONG ISLE. Impact: The Japanese landings in Hong Kong led to a tourism boom post-war, as people flocked to visit 'the site of epic battles' which was just a really nice beach with a dubious history.. Fact: Hong Kong's beaches are so nice that even the Japanese troops probably wanted to take a vacation there after the war..
• Headline: Midway Still Held. Impact: Midway being held meant the USA could maintain its cool reputation, inadvertently leading to a decades-long obsession with military strategy games and a rise in nerd culture.. Fact: Midway is not just a pivotal battle; it's also the name of a very popular, yet inexplicably named, burger joint in the U.S..
• Headline: Elected as President Of Young & Rubicam. Impact: The election of a new president at Young & Rubicam set off a chain reaction of creative advertising that led to the invention of bizarre mascots and jingles we still can't get out of our heads.. Fact: Being elected president of an advertising agency is kind of like being the captain of a ship full of sharks—everyone's just waiting to see who gets bitten first..